Brothers in Arms
by Solid Shark
Summary: How much do events change with just one person added to the equation? When Kevin Walker, enigmatic teenage college student, is caught up in the attack on Heliopolis, perhaps this question has an answer. AU novelization of Gundam SEED rated for violence. C
1. Chapter 1: Return to the Battlefield

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker

* * *

Kevin Walker would always remember how peacefully that day began, before Heliopolis was destroyed. He would always remember the loss of his refuge, and the battle that drew him back into war. 

The young man who strode across Heliopolis' streets toward his best friend Kira Yamato was hardly the most inconspicuous sixteen-year-old. His clothing, from his boots to his leather jacket and gloves, was entirely black, as was the military-style beret that partially hid his ragged sandy hair. He wore numerous knives, the most obvious of which an enormous Bowie knife on his belt. From these he had earned the nickname Blade.

The one they called Blade was normally a cheerful, if soft-spoken, student, unremarkable except in physical appearance and his unreal talent with knives. But within the jade eyes, always hidden by sunglasses, one could see darkness. Kevin had seen a great deal in life, more than anyone suspected.

He was also a zoanthrope, the rare breed of shape-shifters who had faded almost into obscurity with the coming of Coordinators. Only three people alive knew of this, and Kevin was only aware of two of them; the third he would not recall until some time later.

But on that day, in C.E. 71, war was the furthest thing from Kevin's mind; he was just an average student, meeting up with a friend.

"Hey, Kira," he said, walking up to the bench his friend sat on. "News reports?" He pointed at Kira's computer.

"Yeah." Kira looked a little worried. "Kaohsiung spaceport this time. And this is from last week."

Behind the shades, Kevin's eyes took on a very cold look. "Bloody ZAFT," he muttered. Though no one knew why, it was common knowledge that Kevin Walker hated ZAFT more than anything else, and it seemed to be the one subject that could make him lose his temper.

"Hey, Kira!"

They both glanced up at the voice. Tolle Koenig and his girlfriend, Miriallia Haw, both friends of theirs, were coming toward them. "What's up, Tolle?"

"Professor Kato's been looking for you," Tolle replied. "Aren't you working on something for him?"

"_Too_ much." Kira looked weary. "I still haven't finished the stuff he gave me _yesterday_."

"Well, he wants us to bring you to him, right away." Tolle noticed the laptop's screen. "Kaohsiung now? That's pretty close to the homeland."

"Will they be okay?" Mir wondered aloud.

Kevin dismissed the idea. "Don't worry about Orb, Mir. They're stubbornly neutral. Besides, if ZAFT _were_ stupid enough to attack, well, Orb's got the best technology in the world." He started walking off to the vehicle areas.

"So, what are you up to today, Blade?" Tolle asked as they walked. "Going to the range?" It was well-known that Kevin was a crack shot with a handgun, and practiced regularly.

He shook his head. "Not today. I've got work at Morgenroete, too; not sure what all this programming stuff is _for_, but an assignment's an assignment." Besides, he didn't add, a technical college was the _least_ of the challenges he'd had in recent years.

They shortly found the local equivalent of a bus stop, but it was blocked by three chatting teenage girls. _Flay Allster,_ Kevin thought, recognizing one of them. He smiled to himself. _So _this_ is the girl you keep talking about, Kira. Looks like she's barely aware that you exist, though._

Tolle and Mir proceeded to join the chatting, while Kira and Kevin stood back, exchanging looks; they'd known each other for ten years, so words were not always necessary between them.

They were interrupted when a woman spoke from behind them. "Excuse me, but if you're not getting in, mind if _I_ do?"

Kevin stood aside and allowed the black-haired woman and her companions to pass. _Wonder who _they_ are,_ he thought, as they climbed into a vehicle and left.

Kira was arguing with Tolle, something to do with a letter, when the four of them finally got into another car and headed off, toward Morgenroete.

* * *

"Well, if you're not gonna ask him, I guess _I'll_ have to," Tolle was saying as they pulled up to the security gate at Morgenroete. 

"Tolle, you're being a pest," Kira told him, running an ID card through the scanner.

Kevin ignored the banter; even had it been directed at him, teasing was something that no longer bothered him. He'd endured _far_ worse.

The four of them finally reached the workroom, where two of their classmates were waiting. "Ah, there you are, Kira," Sai Argyle said, seeing them enter.

His friends continued right in, but Kevin froze just inside. _I feel something,_ he thought, mental antennae quivering._ No. Someone. A zoanthrope? No. Then what?_ His eyes swept the room, noting each person. Kuzzey Buskirk, Sai, Mir, Tolle, Kira... _So who, then?_ He concentrated, trying to find the source of the odd presence. He knew in general terms what he was feeling; as a zoanthrope, he was mildly empathic, which allowed him to sense other zoanthropes and normal people he knew well. So who was this?

Kevin finally turned to his left, noticing for the first time the girl that leaned against the wall there. She was already looking at him strangely, as though she knew him from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

The girl, Cagalli, was thinking along much the same lines as the shadowy young man she observed. _Who are you? Do I know you?_ The face, concealed though it was behind sunglasses and a beret, seemed very familiar to her. But without a better look, she couldn't quite recognize him.

For the next several minutes, while the others in the room worked, Kevin and Cagalli leaned against opposite walls, surreptitiously watching each other. It was becoming increasing clear to both of them that they knew each other, but neither could figure out from where, and neither was willing to ask the other's name.

Then the alarms went off, with a voice telling everyone to evacuate. "What's going on?" Mir said, bewildered.

"Doesn't matter," Kevin said, speaking for the first time since entering the room. "We need to get out of here, now." He muttered something in what sounded like Russian; it also sounded obscene. Then he strode over to the door leading out to a stairwell and kicked it, knocking it right off its hinges.

Tolle blinked. "Blade-?"

"No time, Tolle."

They headed out of the room, only to be met by a flow of people heading up the stairwell. "What's going on?" Sai asked.

"Don't know, but we should evacuate," a passerby said, brushing past.

"It's a ZAFT attack!"

Cagalli's eyes widened and she started heading in the opposite direction; Kira noticed and followed after her. "Wait!"

"Kira!"

"I'll be right back. Go!" He caught up with the girl in a few steps. "Where are you going? It's a dead end here!"

"Stop tailing me!" she said angrily. "You'd better go back and link up with the others."

"Easier said than done," he retorted, just as an explosion nearly blew them off their feet... and a dark shape hurtled past them into a wall.

"Solkin syn!" the black-clad figure muttered. Kevin stood, noting with disgust that the blast had knocked off his hat and blown his shades to smithereens. "Bloody ZAFT!" He added something incredibly vile in Russian.

Kira, meanwhile, had noticed Cagalli's hat had flown off, setting free a mass of blonde hair. "You're... a girl," he said, sounding surprised.

"That's right," she replied, disgusted. "What did you think? Huh?"

"No, I just-"

"I've had enough!" The uncharacteristic outburst came from Kevin, who thrust a hand into his jacket; it came out with a battered, ancient-looking revolver. "I'm gonna blow those bastards straight to-"

Cagalli stared at him, unable to believe her eyes. "Kevin!"

Blade broke off his rant with a blank look. "Huh?" He absently ran a hand through his sandy hair, staring intently at the girl. "You... know me?" he said slowly.

Her mouth had fallen open, and she closed it slowly, still staring at this apparition. "What's your name?"

"Kevin Walker," he said, still confused; though not as confused as Kira, who was looking at them as if they'd both gone mad. "Why?"

"You're... you're supposed to be dead..."

"Dead?" Kevin shook his head. "I think you've got the wrong guy, Miss. I'm a lot of things, but a ghost ain't one of them." He hefted the revolver. "We don't have time for this. This way!" He took off running, heading down a side corridor.

Kira grabbed Cagalli's hand. "Come on, let's go!"

"Let go of me, you jerk." But she followed him anyway, still confused by the gun-toting teen who looked so much like an old friend of hers, even used one of his aliases... but apparently had no idea who _she_ was, which meant it couldn't be him. And he'd been dead for two years, hadn't he?

Ahead of them, Kevin came into view, running as fast as his legs could carry him... on the walls. The sight was preposterous, since this section of the colony had pseudo-gravity, but it was happening nonetheless.

"Blade, wait!" Kira called to him. "There's a locked door just ahead-"

"So?" The youth hit the door with the force of a small bomb and burst right through it, his shoulder forcing the heavy metal far out into the next room. Inside, he paused to take a look at the factory floor below... and swore.

"Blade?" Kira and Cagalli came into the chamber right behind him, if at a more sane pace. "What is it?"

Cagalli took one look at the battle raging below around the pair of mobile suits and sank to the floor. "I knew it," she moaned. "The Earth Forces' prototype mobile weapons. Father, I knew you betrayed us all!"

_Earth Forces?_ Kevin thought._ That explains the attack. But what are they-_ Her words finally registered._ Father? Is she-?_ For an instant, there was a flicker of recognition in his jade eyes, then it faded to the back of his brain, behind the fog that still obscured memories after two and a half long years. Ever since he had become what he was... a soldier beyond all others.

His thoughts were disturbed as he realized an Earth Forces officer standing on one of the mobile suits was about to shoot at them. "Run!" he shouted. Leaping to the side, Kevin was pleased to note the woman had realized she was firing at civilians and changed targets. "Get the girl out of here! I'll handle this."

"But, Blade-"

"Relax, Kira." He raised the gun. "You know I've fought before. You know how many times I've fought Blue Cosmos. If I can survive being on their hit list, I can survive this."

Cagalli took another look at him, still confused. She _knew_ the person he so resembled was dead. He'd died in her arms years before. Yet this young man who had suddenly revealed such lethal potential looked almost _exactly_ like him, with slight differences that could be put down to growth, and he even _moved_ like him. But the Kevin Walker she'd known was not a soldier, while this one clearly was.

There was no more time to ponder it. She followed Kira out of the room, while Kevin prepared himself to fight for the first time in over a year. "C'mon, you ZAFT bastards," he muttered. "Come reap what you have sown!" He raised the ancient weapon, a very battered Colt Single Action Army, and leapt.

Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, the Earth Forces officer who had mistakenly shot at them, stopped firing for an instant in pure surprise, seeing the young man arc across the huge room as if shot from a cannon. He twisted midair, firing an antique at the ZAFT forces with unerring accuracy, before landing on the catwalk on the other side, graceful as a cat.

She was saved from being shot in the back by Kira's return to the room. "Behind you!" he shouted, and Ramius spun, firing the last few rounds in her assault rifle's magazine; the green-suited attacker dropped, dead or hiding.

Ramius knew there was no way out of the factory anymore, so she made a snap decision. "Come here!" she called.

Kira shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm off to the shelters in the left block; never mind me!"

"There's nothing left behind that door!"

"She's right," Kevin called. "Nothing but rubble and things going bang." His confirmation was punctuated by a loud explosion.

Kira shielded his face from the explosion, then ran along the catwalk toward the ramp leading down to the mobile suit. "Over here!" Ramius told him, and he jumped over the railing, landing hard on the GAT-X105 Strike's shoulder.

He was just nearing the Earth Alliance officer when a red-suited commando shot her in the right shoulder, dazing her; the only thing that saved her life was the attacker's gun jamming.

Athrun Zala, seeing his weapon was useless, dropped it and drew a knife, then used his jetpack to fly to the top of the Strike, moving in bounds till he was in range of the woman and the teenager attending her. He raised the knife...

And Kira looked up, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "Athrun...?"

Athrun hesitated. "Kira...?"

That was when the black blur slammed feet-first onto the mobile suit, kicked the knife out of his hand, and snap-kicked him in the chest. "Back off!"

Athrun would have fought this teenage tornado anyway, not knowing he'd have lost very quickly, but Ramius managed to raise her pistol and began firing at him. He had no choice but to fall back, taking one last look at the young man he'd nearly knifed, before dropping into the cockpit of X303 Aegis, one of the Earth Forces' new mobile suits.

With that threat gone, Ramius shoved Kira into the Strike and jumped in after him. From within, she spoke to the teenage gunman who had just assisted her. "There isn't room for three; you'd better get out of here!"

Kevin grinned. "I'll see you outside, whoever you are." As the hatch began to close, he shot a reassuring glance at Kira. "Don't worry about me; you know I can handle myself."

* * *

The Strike and Aegis blasted out of Morgenroete simultaneously, entering the main area of the colony through newly-blasted holes in the ground. 

Tolle, Mir, Sai, and Kuzzey were running nearby when the mobile suits emerged, and their initial confusion was compounded when Kevin came out of the hole behind the Strike, apparently following it... with a gun in his hand.

Waiting for the two G-weapons were a pair of ZAFT GINNs. Within the Strike, Ramius cursed. "Two of them. This doesn't look good."

Unexpectedly, a voice came from the radio. _"Don't worry, Lieutenant,"_ Blade told her; how he was transmitting was a mystery. _"I'll deal with the one behind."_

"Are you crazy-?"

Kira interrupted her. "I don't know what he's up to, but if he says he can do it, he can."

She shook her head, still bemused by the strange, black-clad killer, but she had no time to consider it. The first GINN was attacking.

Outside, Tolle waved to Kevin. "Over here! Hurry!"

Blade ignored him, choosing instead to fling himself at the second GINN; making leaps that no normal human should have been capable of, he ascended the mobile suit, finally reaching the cockpit. It was, of course, locked, but Kevin was undaunted. He found the external controls and simply smashed them with his fist.

The hatch fell open, and he darted in; a few moments later, a dead body in a green flight suit fell out, leaking blood from the throat and missing its backpack. The hatch promptly closed again, sparking.

Within, Kevin fastened the restraints, muttering to himself. "Okay, let's see... main power is already up, don't need to worry about that... this is basic maneuvering... and this must be the weapons. Now: can I fly this thing?"

Meanwhile, Ramius was having a great deal of trouble piloting the Strike; the only thing that had saved them from being cut in half was the timely activation of phase-shift armor, a new technology that dispelled kinetic energy. That rendered the GINN's weapons essentially useless... except for the fact that the people inside could still be harmed by things like falling into buildings.

And collateral damage. Kira stared at the displays in horror, as the GINN prepared to stab the Strike in the cockpit... which would cause them to land on his friends.

Hardly knowing what he was doing, but doing it very quickly, he pressed a switch, causing the mobile suit to duck, then reached over to thrust one of the maneuvering grips forward, shoulder-tackling the GINN.

The blow knocked the enemy off his feet and into a building, giving them some breathing space, which Kira used to begin modifying the Strike's computers. "If you're gonna drive something like this, you gotta make better use of it," he told Ramius, who stared at him in surprise. "And how do you manage with this OS?"

"It's only in the trial stage; it can't be helped," she replied, off-balance.

"Please, move over." This Ramius did, having seen that this teenager was clearly a better pilot. He proceeded to type rapidly, fingers blurring, as he rewrote the operating system, muttering to himself as he did so.

_"You guys still alive?"_ a voice said dryly over the radio. _"I think you gave that GINN a shock."_

"Where are you calling from?" Ramius asked, frowning.

_"I did tell you I'd deal with the other GINN, didn't I?"_ Kevin sounded amused. _"The pilot came down with a serious case of dead. The only problem is, I don't know how to fly this monstrosity."_

"Don't worry," Kira said absently. "I've got this one." He made a final adjustment to the software, then flinched as the GINN opened fire. Though the bullets did no damage, they did shake him up a bit; he responded by hitting a foot pedal and propelling the Strike into the air, out of the line of fire.

Now he concerned himself with weaponry, hunting up the relevant information. "Armor Schneiders? That's all there is?" He made the most of it, drawing the huge switchblades from the Strike's hip armor. Holding in one each hand, the Strike set down and ran straight at the enemy, outpacing the bullets.

Kira brought it to a halt at point-blank range, and without hesitation thrust one knife into the GINN's shoulder joint, and the other into its neck, disabling it.

When the enemy pilot abandoned his mobile suit, Ramius realized something was wrong. "This doesn't look good, step away from that GINN-!"

Too late. The GINN self-destructed, the concussion nearly knocking the Strike off its feet and successfully knocking Murrue Ramius and Kevin Walker unconscious.

* * *

Kevin Walker was mildly surprised to find himself still alive, when he awakened a few minutes later. After a moment of cataloguing his sensations, however, he almost wished he was dead. 

He groaned and opened his eyes, finding himself looking up at a concerned Mir. "Blade, you're awake," she said in relief. "We were worried."

Blade slowly sat up, noticing the Earth Alliance officer lying not far away. "I'm okay," he said finally. "I think. How's the lieutenant, there?"

"Minor gunshot wound to the right shoulder, and a slight concussion," Sai told him, standing near the motionless Strike. "She should be fine."

"Hm." Kevin hauled himself to his feet. "I forgot how much I hate war," he muttered, staggering over to where his stolen GINN knelt silently.

"Uh, about that, Blade," Tolle said hesitantly. "Where'd you learn those tricks? You never mentioned you were a soldier."

"Technically, I'm not." He idly fingered a revolver grip under his jacket. "But I know some tricks of the trade. A very long story, tovarisch."

"This isn't the first time you've been in a war zone, is it, Blade?" Sai asked quietly.

"Hardly."

The answer wasn't too surprising to any of his friends, given how little they actually knew of Kevin's past. But of them all, only Kira had the faintest idea what he was talking about, and he knew not to mention it without Kevin's permission.

And even Kira had no idea just what Kevin Walker truly was...

His friends watched curiously as Kevin began to prowl around the edges of the park they'd come to, pacing what seemed to be a perimeter. Every few steps, he set a concave object on the ground, labeled Front Toward Enemy, that he'd pulled from somewhere.

Finally, he stood back. "Perimeter secure. Just don't step beyond that line."

"Uh, why not?" Tolle asked.

"Because I just set claymore mines. Get caught in one, and you'll be human hamburger." Kevin chuckled, but it was not a very pleasant sound. "I learned how useful these gadgets are in Dnepropetrovsk."

"Dne... Den... I can't even pronounce that."

"I've never heard of it, either," Mir agreed. "What were you doing there?"

"Running for my life. Again." Kevin shrugged. "Not exactly unusual in my life; sometime maybe I'll tell you the whole story. But not today."

"Hey, Blade..." Kira said softly, beckoning him over to the side.

He walked over. "Yeah, Kira?"

Kira glanced over at the others, making sure they were out of earshot. "Who was that girl, back at Morgenroete? She looked like she knew you."

Kevin stood silently for a long moment, thinking. "I don't know," he said finally. "I think I should, but... let's just say some of my misadventures over the years have given me some memory problems. I may once have known her, but from where, I can't imagine. Her name, though..." He frowned for a moment. "I think her name is Cagalli; don't ask me how I know, because I have no idea." He shook his head. "But that's not important right now. What's important is that we're trapped in a space colony that's under attack by ZAFT."

"Blade, Kira, she's waking up," Mir called.

Kevin walked over. "Good to see you're still among the living, Lieutenant," he said pleasantly. As Ramius sat up, he noticed her somewhat dazed look. "Never been shot before, eh? Don't worry, you'll be fine; took me a little while to regain my senses after the first time, too."

She didn't reply to his comment, for she abruptly noticed Tolle climbing around the Strike, investigating it, and she shot to her feet.

Kevin had just turned away when the gunshot rang out, and he spun back around to see Ramius pointing her sidearm at Tolle. "Get down from there!" she shouted. "All of you, over there!"

"What are you _doing?"_ Tolle protested.

"Do as she says, Tolle," Kevin said in a calm voice. "For now."

The six students gathered to one side, looking frightened... except for Blade, who wore a curiously complacent expression. "You've just been exposed to classified technology of the Earth Alliance," Ramius said coldly. "Thus I have no choice but to detain you all."

"You have no authority over us, Lieutenant," Kevin said, eyes slowly freezing; Kira knew this to be a clear sign he was getting very angry. Kevin Walker's anger was dangerous because it did not burn; it chilled.

"I'm afraid that you're wrong," Ramius told him, shifting her aim to him. "Your names, all of you."

"Kuzzey Buskirk."

"Miriallia Haw."

"Sai Argyle."

"Tolle Koenig."

"And you?" Her aim moved to Kira.

"Kira Yamato." He, too, was angry. "What do you think you're doing? I just saved your life, in case you didn't notice. And this is neutral territory; the war doesn't have anything to with us!"

Ramius shook her head in apparent disgust. "'Neutral'. Whatever you may think, there's a war going on outside your comfortable little world, and you're just going to have to live with it. Earth against ZAFT, Natural against Coordinator; that's how the world works, people." Her pistol pointed at Kevin again. "And you are?"

In less than an eye blink, she was staring down the muzzle of a revolver. "Someone who doesn't like having guns pointed at his face," Kevin said coldly, gun held at arm's length. "Drop it, Lieutenant. Now."

"You think you can shoot me before I pull this trigger?" Ramius attempted to hide her surprise; she'd forgotten the black-clad teenager carried a weapon.

"No. I _know_ it."

As the two faced off, Kira suddenly noticed Kevin was holding his gun in his left hand. _Wait a minute... Isn't he _right_-handed?_ He also saw that his friend wasn't holding it in quite the perfect stance he usually did; it was almost as if he were pretending to be a less proficient marksman than he actually was...

A light went on in his head, and Kira relaxed. He was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of trick Kevin had up his sleeve.

"Drop your weapon, kid," Ramius ordered. "Do it now."

"No." Kevin smiled; it was not a pleasant expression. "Can you shoot me, rookie?"

"Careful," she warned, "I'm no rookie."

"Oh yes you are," he countered. "You may be experienced at naval operations, but you're way out of your league and in _my_ domain now, Lieutenant." His hand twitched very slightly, as though beginning to lose his grip. "I can tell; it's your eyes, you see. They're rookie's eyes if I ever saw them. So tell me: is this the first time you ever pointed a gun at a person? Your hands are shaking."

Ramius cursed herself; he was right. "Don't think I'm not prepared to defend myself," she warned.

Kevin snorted. "You haven't even counted your shots, rookie."

It was all she could do not to goggle at this ice block that walked like a human; not only was he right about her mistake, but he seemed to think this no more serious than a mild disagreement. "Look, kid," Ramius said, carefully checking her sidearm's magazine, "put away your weapon or I'll have no choice but to shoot."

"Blade, maybe you should do as she says?" Tolle said nervously.

"Oh, very well," Kevin said, shrugging. Ramius began to relax as his left hand slipped the gun back into its shoulder holster...

And then his right hand whipped out with the Colt's twin and blew her sidearm right out of her hand, with no more difficulty than shooting the broadside of a barn. "What the-"

All traces of weakness were gone now, as the teenager held the revolver like an extension of his own body. "I told you, Lieutenant, I hate having guns pointed at my face!" He grinned, seeing no more reason to conceal his true skill. "You just fell for the oldest trick in the book, rookie. You allowed yourself to underestimate me, because of what my _apparent_ abilities were. Remember this: never make assumptions."

Ramius stared at Kevin, shocked by the sudden change. "Who are you...?"

"I go by the name Kevin Walker," he replied. "It's not the name I was born with, but it'll serve. I doubt you'll _ever_ learn my true identity. Most people call me Blade, by the way," he added, seemingly as an aside.

"I wondered when you were gonna do that, Blade," Kira said, the only person completely unsurprised by the events that had just occurred.

"Just waiting for the right moment, tovarisch," Kevin said casually. "When one has been nearly assassinated a few dozen times, you get something resembling a sense of timing."

"So, you have me at a disadvantage," Ramius broke in. "What are you going to do now?"

His answer surprised her. "Just what you say, Lieutenant; I, for one, would like to get out of this alive, and I imagine that mobile suit is our only hope of doing just that. So, unless any of my friends have death wishes, we're going to do exactly what you tell us to do. But if you try to _threaten_ us again, the next bullet goes somewhere more important to cognitive function."

She didn't fully relax again after that, not even after Kevin put his gun away. But the fact that he was suggesting cooperation was a good sign. "You," Ramius said, pointing to Sai, "get the number 5 trailer; Kira, please get back in the Strike and attempt to contact Earth Forces assets."

Sai still looked unconvinced, but Kevin clapped him on the shoulder. "C'mon, Sai," he said. "I know we're neutral, but this really is our best chance of survival." He nodded significantly at the carnage the ZAFT mobile suits had wrought. "Unless you'd rather go back out into that?"

His blonde-haired friend with the orange glasses sighed. "You're right, of course."

As the students moved to do as she instructed, Ramius looked sidelong at the lone teen who stood motionless at the edge of the park. There was something about him, the way he moved, the way he fought...

She walked over to him. "So, Mr. Walker. There's more to you than meets the eye."

"Much more, Lieutenant," Kevin said without turning.

"I'm surprised you didn't kill me; you're certainly a good enough shot."

That drew a reaction; in this case a sardonic glance over his shoulder. "'Good enough' is putting it mildly, Lieutenant Ramius. If there's a better shot than me, I'll be very much surprised."

Ramius raised an eyebrow. "Even among Coordinators?"

He paused, then turned to face her. "Lieutenant, I _am_ a Coordinator." Kevin smiled slightly at her surprised look. "And no, I'm not with ZAFT. Fact is, ZAFT is the only thing in the world that I hate more than Blue Cosmos. It is my mission in life to annihilate them."

She met his eyes, for once not hidden by sunglasses, and saw that, for all his outward youth, this young man had seen a great deal. "They did something to you, didn't they?"

Blade nodded, face a mask, jade eyes frozen. "Oh, yes; they did something to me. And for that, I am sworn to their destruction." He sighed. "But I'd had my fill of battlefields for awhile; I came to this place for peace, for a rest, and now ZAFT has taken even that from me. They'll pay. With their lives."

Kevin Walker was far from an ordinary teenager, that was clear. On the outside, he was an average student. But something ancient and lethal lived inside him, something that had slept for a long year, and Ramius somehow thought it was awakening.

It was not a comforting thought.

* * *

"Here it is," Sai said a few minutes later, climbing out of the vehicle he'd driven over. "The number 5 trailer. That's the one you asked for, right?" 

"Yes, it is," Ramius said with a nod. "Thank you." She looked over at Kira, who had just returned from the Strike. "Any luck contacting Earth Forces?"

He shook his head. "No; something's still jamming it."

"N-jammers," Kevin muttered. "Guess that means ZAFT is still operating here. Well, after Junius Seven, I can't say I'm displeased."

"Yes, that was a tragedy," Ramius agreed.

"Tragedy?" He snorted. "It was nearly the death of me, Lieutenant; I'd just left the colony that very morning. Not exactly the first close call for me, but definitely one of the nastiest."

"So what do you want us to do now?" Sai asked.

"Mount the Striker pack on the Strike," the lieutenant replied. "Once that's done, Kira, please try again to make contact."

"Sure."

As the others moved off again to their various tasks, Blade straightened from where he'd been leaning against a piece of park equipment and walked over to his captured GINN. "So, you misbegotten, half-breed piece of ZAFT junk," he muttered. "What makes you tick?" He climbed aboard and booted up the computers; his instincts, which were usually right, told him the battle wasn't over yet. He needed to learn how to fly the mobile suit, and fast.

It wasn't fast enough; Kevin had barely begun checking the computers when the GINN's thermal sensors warned of an explosion in progress. He stuck his head out the hatch, and was startled to see part of the colony's main shaft vanish in a ball of flame... and a ZAFT CGUE mobile suit emerged from the explosion, trailed by an Earth Alliance Moebius Zero, which seemed to be missing its wired gunbarrels.

"What are _they_ doing here?" he muttered; for it did not take a genius to figure out who the two combatants were. The CGUE was flown only by commanders and above, and he'd already determined it was the Le Creuset team that had attacked Heliopolis. And, of course, only one member of the elite Moebius Zero corps remained, after the disaster at Endymion Crater the previous year. "Rau Le Creuset and Mu La Flaga. Interesting."

The others were taking the situation far less calmly. "Mount the equipment before it's too late!" Ramius shouted to Kira, who redoubled his command-typing.

"There it is," Le Creuset murmured.

"The final unit," La Flaga told himself.

As the two pilots fought each other above, Kevin made a fast decision and sealed his hatch. "I'm gonna regret this," he muttered, and brought the GINN's main systems online. Fingers flying, he traced the various commands, rapidly checking to see what did what.

Meanwhile, Le Creuset had succeeded in knocking out his adversary's last weapon, and turned his attention to the Strike. "I'll take you down now, while I have the chance!"

Inside the Earth Forces weapon, Kira yelled wordlessly, seeing the death that awaited him... and the Striker pack connected, recharging the Strike's energy battery. He hurriedly hit the switch he'd seen Ramius use earlier, activating the mobile suit's phase-shift armor just in time to catch a hurried burst from the CGUE's machine gun.

"Try to hurt my friends, will you?" Kevin muttered, voice seething and eyes frozen. "Not this time, you bastards. This is one thing you're _not_ taking from me!"

His GINN's arm rose, lifting its own machine gun and pointing it directly at the attacking CGUE. He squinted through the targeting scanner, waited a beat, and squeezed the trigger.

Le Creuset barely dodged the burst, and for once even he was surprised as he noticed the GINN. "One of our units...?" he murmured. "It must have been captured. But how...?" A radio device beeped, and he glanced at the display. Instantly, one of his eyebrows rose. "One of them? So, the one who was responsible for the project's failure _did_ survive the explosion. Most interesting."

And that was when another explosion occurred, as the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship _Archangel_ fired its Lohengrin positron cannons, blowing its way out of drydock and giving it access to the colony's interior.

"A warship, inside the colony?" La Flaga blinked; he'd known of the G-weapons, but _this_...

Ramius saw it, as well. "Look, it's the _Archangel_!" she said in relief.

Kevin Walker's reaction was rather different, for like Ramius, he recognized the ship... without any previous connection to the G-weapons project. From the depths of his memory came an image from a time before he went on the run, from when he lived under his own name. A set of blueprints, for the proposed _Archangel_-class carriers...

"Forget the past," he muttered to himself. "The past is gone, that was a different name, a different life. What is real is this battle." He grasped the GINN's controls, hoping he'd deciphered them properly. "Okay, Le Creuset, get ready to face me. Let's give you ZAFT bastards a taste of the misery you caused me!"

The GINN leapt into the air, propelled by its verniers, and Kevin angled up toward the CGUE; which, having failed to stop the Strike before its phase-shift activated, had shifted its attention to the warship. He raised the rifle for another burst...

And Ramius called up at him. "Wait! The _Archangel_ doesn't know you're friendly-"

Kevin cursed and retreated, both due to her warning and sudden burst of machine cannon fire from the _Archangel_'s CIWS systems. "Bloody, I haven't been this helpless since..."

He didn't need to worry about being helpless much longer. Kira had finally figured out the Striker pack's systems, and he raised the enormous hyper-impulse cannon Agni. "Wait, that's too-!" Ramius warned, but too late.

Kira pulled the trigger, and an enormous beam of red-orange light sprang forth from the Agni's muzzle, blowing off the CGUE's right arm... and continuing past, until it expended its energy on the colony wall high above, blasting a huge hole.

Le Creuset, seeing his mobile suit damaged and an escape route created by the same shot, flew toward the hole. "How is that possible?" he murmured. "A mobile suit with that much firepower?"

Silence fell over what had been a battlefield moments earlier.

* * *

With Le Creuset having retreated, the various participants of the battle had a chance to catch their breaths, and the _Archangel_ landed next to the Strike. 

The Earth Forces mobile suit finished ferrying the students and Ramius as La Flaga landed his Moebius Zero on the ship's bow deck; Kevin set his captured GINN down on the catapult deck a moment later, as Ramius turned to meet the military personnel coming to meet them.

"Lieutenant Ramius!" the black-haired woman in the lead, who wore ensign insignia, called. "It's a relief to see you, Ma'am."

"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel," Ramius responded. "I'm pleased that you protected the _Archangel_. You do realize you've saved us."

Above, the Strike's hatch opened and Kira descended to the deck, to the surprised stares of the crew. "Would someone tell me what's going on?" Chief Kojiro Murdoch complained. "He's just a kid; just learned to shave, and _he's_ piloting it?"

"Lieutenant, what's going on?" Badgiruel asked.

"Well, this is a surprise," La Flaga interrupted, walking over. "I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga," he added, "of the Seventh Orbital Fleet, at your service."

Ramius, Badgiruel, and Crewman Arnold Neumann saluted. "I'm Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Sector 2, 5th Special Division; I'm a crew member of this ship."

"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel, same division."

"It's an honor." La Flaga returned the salutes. "I would like permission to board this ship; may I ask who's in charge around here?"

"The Captain and the other senior officers have perished in battle," Badgiruel said quietly. "Therefore, I believe Lieutenant Ramius is next in command."

"What-?" Ramius looked stunned. "The Captain? It can't be..."

La Flaga winced. "What an unmitigated disaster. Anyway, please grant me permission, Lieutenant Ramius; the ship I was assigned to engaged the enemy, and was downed."

"Oh, of course; permission granted, Lieutenant," Ramius said quickly.

La Flaga also looked at Ramius questioningly. "I was assigned to escort the pilots who were specially trained to fly this thing. Where can I find them?"

"The Captain was greeting them when the bombs went off, so they also..." The ensign trailed off.

"Yes, I see." He looked over to Kira, who had joined his classmates; except, that was, for Kevin, who remained sealed in his cockpit. "So, who do we have over here?"

"As you can see, he's a teenage civilian," Ramius said. "For some reason, he was in the factory district when the attack came, and I brought him aboard the G-weapon. It was he who managed to down a GINN, as well as get this unit to safety."

Even Badgiruel looked impressed. "Shot down a GINN? This kid did it?"

"I see." With a curious expression, La Flaga walked over to Kira.

"What?" the younger man asked, puzzled. "What's the matter?"

"So tell me," La Flaga said conversationally. "You're a Coordinator?"

Only Tolle looked unsurprised by the question; the rest waited with baited breath until Kira replied, "Yes."

Instantly, the nearby guards raised their rifles, pointing them at the Coordinator in their midst; then Tolle stepped into their way. "What do you think you're _doing_?"

"Tolle," Kira warned, not wanting to see his friend hurt.

"You saw what just happened," Tolle went on furiously. "Kira's a Coordinator, but he's _not_ with ZAFT! You must be out of your minds, all of you!"

The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife; but then Ramius raised a hand. "Lower your rifles, men," she ordered.

They complied, looking confused and suspicious. "Lieutenant, I request an explanation," Badgiruel said, looking at Kira.

"When you think about it, it's not so hard to understand," she replied. "Heliopolis is neutral territory; it only makes sense that some Coordinators would take refuge here, in order to avoid all involvement in the war." She turned to Kira. "Am I wrong, Kira?"

"No, you're right," he acknowledged. "Especially since I'm a _first_-generation Coordinator."

"First-generation..." someone murmured.

"Which means, of course, that your parents are Naturals." La Flaga shrugged and looked apologetic. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to cause such a fuss. I was only curious, that's all, nothing more than that." He looked up at the silent Strike. "You know, on the way here I watched the pilots who were meant to pilot these things run through a bunch of simulations, and they had to struggle just to get it to move."

"So what do we do now?" Badgiruel asked.

"What do we do? I've just been shot down, and the Le Creuset team is still waiting for us outside the colony. If you ask me, we can't afford to spend too much time here."

As La Flaga headed off into the ship, Ramius recalled something. "Oh, Lieutenant La Flaga," she called after him. "There is one person who has yet to be introduced; were it not for him, the Strike would not have made it." She looked up at the motionless GINN. "Blade, if you could join us?"

There was a moment's pause, and then the mobile suit's hatch opened; its occupant leapt down to the deck, managing what ought to have been a bone-breaking landing with cat-like grace. "You called, mon Capitan?"

Ramius started to speak, but the look on La Flaga's face silenced her; the pilot was looking closely at the young man. "You're Jack Carter, aren't you?" he said finally. "The Crimson Tiger?"

Ramius would not have thought it possible that something could startle the crew more than the revelation that Kira was a Coordinator, but at these words, everyone but Kira stopped dead, staring at the lethal youth.

For Jack Carter, alias Crimson Tiger, was well-known to be the top name on the Blue Cosmos hit list. A teenager, apparently a Coordinator, who had caused a number of Blue Cosmos cells mischief on Earth. He'd left a trail of dead bodies across five continents from the time his name first appeared until he vanished, almost exactly a year previously.

The media and Blue Cosmos themselves had dubbed Carter the "Crimson Tiger" for two reasons: the incredible death toll he left behind him, and outrageous eyewitness accounts that claimed he turned into a red-and-black-striped tiger when faced with overwhelming odds. The few who survived Carter's battles with the terror group claimed that he dodged bullets, was bulletproof, and possibly couldn't die. If they were to be believed, there were about three of him, because one human being, no matter how dangerous, could not possibly be responsible for the mayhem he was credited with.

Tolle recovered from the shock first, leaping to his friend's defense. "Wait a minute, Blade's not-"

He broke off, as Kevin raised a hand. "Very good, Lieutenant," he said evenly, and a slight smile played at his lips. "That is, indeed, one of my many names. I might ask, however, how you knew it was me."

La Flaga smiled. "As it happens, Mr. Carter, I witnessed one of your bloody escapades myself; not that I'm complaining, mind you. The world is better off without those people, and I'm aware you never targeted innocents." He cocked his head and paused, as if pondering the probable reaction to his next words. "So tell me," he said finally. "You're a zoanthrope?"

Not even Kira and Kevin himself were immune to the sudden tension; the Blade, in fact, was looking ready to blow away everyone in the room, to keep his secret. But at last he relaxed, giving La Flaga a resigned nod. "I'm impressed, O Hawk of Endymion. To my knowledge, you're only the third person to discover that. The other two were classmates of mine at a school in Copernicus, one of them being Kira." He looked around the catapult, jade eyes chilling them all in turn. "I trust none of you will spread that beyond this chamber?"

Ramius, taken aback by the revelation, nonetheless nodded. "I don't think any of us want to face the Tiger's wrath, Blade," she said, surprising herself with an amused smile. "I could always classify the information, if need be."

"Not to worry," La Flaga said. "Again, I didn't mean to cause a fuss. I was only curious." He raised an eyebrow. "I gather, from your words, that 'Jack Carter' isn't your real name?"

"No, it isn't." Kevin's eyes thawed. "I go by the name Kevin Walker; that's not my real one either, but it's close enough. Call me Blade, by the way; everybody else does."

"Blade, huh? Why do they call you that?"

The answer was very sudden, and very startling: the instant La Flaga finished speaking, a pair of throwing knives stood quivering, point-down in the deck at his feet; Kevin, not having visibly moved, was now juggling a trio of knives, and making it look easy. "That's why," he said evenly.

"You _are_ good," the Hawk acknowledged after recovering from his surprise. "No wonder you were able to capture that GINN."

"Real nice, kid," Murdoch agreed. "Can't wait to see one of these babies from the inside; got a few improvements to make, too."

Kevin looked amused. "Go ahead, Mr. Murdoch, so long as you people remember that this particular mobile suit does _not_ belong to the Earth Forces; I captured it singlehandedly, and I'm not about to give it up. It could come in handy, given how I seem to attract assassination attempts." He turned and walked into the ship, seeming to have a very good idea of where he was going.

La Flaga watched him go. "Now that's one very unusual guy," he said quietly to Ramius. "A Coordinator, obviously... and a snake eater if I ever saw one."

"'Snake eater'?" She'd never heard the term before.

"That's what they call special forces guys, the ones who do the plausible-deniability stuff." He looked thoughtful. "Most of them are a little odd, some of them downright crazy. Young, too, but he seems a little _too_ young to have gotten so good at it. He's definitely got the look of somebody who's seen a lot of action, though. No mistaking the eyes."

"He called me a rookie," Ramius said wryly. "Said that I had 'rookie's eyes, if he ever saw them'."

La Flaga nodded. "Compared to him, I think you _are_ a rookie, Lieutenant. _He's_ got soldier's eyes if I ever saw them." He scratched his head. "The question is, where did he learn all that?"

* * *

While the _Archangel_'s crew began to plan their next move, the six students tried to relax in a crew compartment they'd been temporarily assigned. Kevin had led them straight there, without even a wrong turn; none of them bothered to ask him how he'd known his way around. 

"I'm impressed he can sleep at a time like this," Kuzzey said quietly, looking up at Kira; the student-turned-mobile suit-pilot was on an upper bunk, dead to the world.

"He's exhausted," Mir said. "What happened out there was really difficult for Kira."

"Not just him," Kevin said with feeling. He'd thought he'd put war behind him, at least for awhile.

"It was tough, huh?" Kuzzey's voice had an odd tone. "Well, I guess there's no denying _that_."

"What are you getting at?" Sai asked, eyes narrowed.

"Well... nothing, really," Kuzzey said slowly. "But you know how he was telling us how he'd reprogrammed that mobile suit's OS? Well, when did he do that? I mean, I can't see Kira having had any previous knowledge of that thing. So... when did he have time to rewrite the OS?"

"I think you know the answer to that question, Kuzzey," Kevin said softly. "Don't you?"

Kuzzey nodded. "I've suspected for awhile now that Kira was a Coordinator. Those Coordinators, the byproducts of genetic engineering... they can do these mind-blowing things, but for them, it's just a little bit tough. They can fly mobile suits, they're faster, and smarter. So I can see how Kira did that. But those ZAFT guys are all like that, too. And that's who the Earth Forces are fighting." He looked worried. "Do you think they stand a chance?"

"It all depends on the individuals, Kuzzey," Kevin said quietly. "Even Coordinators have idiots, and even Naturals have geniuses."

"Yeah, Blade, about that," Sai said slowly. "You've been pretty quiet so far."

"You haven't told us much about yourself, have you?" Mir asked. "You never mentioned you were a Coordinator."

"Yeah," Tolle agreed. "Who or what are you?"

Kevin frowned, pondering his reply. "Okay," he said at last. "I suppose I ought to tell you guys some of it; not all, because that would put all of us in a lot of danger, but some." He leaned against the wall. "First off, as you heard, I lied to you about my name. Fact is, I'm _still_ going to lie to you about my name. I've got too many enemies to risk the slightest leak about that. But I _will_ tell you that my name is not Jack Carter, and it isn't Kevin Walker." His eyes rested briefly on Kira, who still dozed, oblivious to the conversation. "Kira and I went to the same school on the Moon, in Copernicus, starting ten years ago; we parted three years ago, when he moved to Heliopolis... and I went on the run. I've got no family, so I ended up running across half the planet and quite a number of space colonies, eventually being chased by Blue Cosmos; I gather I don't need to tell you about Jack Carter. The newsies did that job."

Sai frowned. "No family? That's why you've been living with Kira's family, right?"

"But that doesn't explain what you did out there today," Mir pointed out. "I didn't know you could fight like that. What are you, a commando?"

"Something like that." Blade chuckled humorlessly. "Actually, I believe I'm the most lethal soldier in human history. Oh, come on," he said sharply, when Mir edged away. "You should know me well enough to know I wouldn't hurt you. I don't attack innocents. My only enemies are ZAFT and Blue Cosmos; and if it'll make you feel better, I don't work for any government. My loyalty isn't to governments or organizations. It's to those I can trust, and you guys are the _only_ people I trust."

"Sorry, Blade," Tolle apologized. "We just weren't expecting you to turn into a gunfighter on us like that. How'd you get so good, anyway?"

"Not your concern, Tolle," Kevin said coolly. "It's not something I discus, and frankly, I don't think you want to know."

"Anything else you _can_ tell us?" Kuzzey asked, eyes narrowed; he'd never suspected that Kevin Walker was actually Jack Carter, and the revelation shook his trust in the young soldier.

"I can tell you I was born in Orb, and that Kira already knows everything I just told you. Beyond that... no, there isn't anything else."

With that he fell silent, brooding. _May all those ZAFT bastards die horrible deaths,_ Kevin thought to himself, and not at all in jest. _After everything they've done to me, everything they've taken from me... everything they've made me. And now they've even taken my last refuge away from me. I guess that means, when I get out of here, it'll be time to go underground again. I can't go home to Orb, no way. Not after all this time, after all that's happened._

He flexed his hands carefully, feeling the metal objects that lay concealed within, and thought about a humanoid weapon even now being worked on by Earth Forces mechanics. The GINN could aid him in his mission. _Oh, yes... I may be stuck on an Earth Alliance ship for awhile, but it could be worse, couldn't it? This way, I have a chance to get my revenge._ And Kevin Walker would be the first to say he had a great capacity for vengeance; one thing he knew he was _not_ was a hero. _Now, what exactly are the officers going to do? We've got ZAFT waiting for us, and Rau Le Creuset is one of their best people... though perhaps not quite as good as Andy. The Desert Tiger would probably have come at us by now._

He shook himself. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to rest, guys."

* * *

On the Bridge, Ramius set down the radio handset on the arm of her command chair, and turned to the other two officers present. "The colony interior is almost completely evacuated," she informed them. "But I'm told that the incident that just happened" (though "incident" was perhaps too mild a word for what a hyper-impulse cannon was capable of) "has upped the Hazard Level to 9." 

"Which means that the shelters have been locked down tight," La Flaga mused. "So... what are we gonna do with those kids?"

"Lieutenant Ramius detained those children because they've been exposed to military secrets," Badgiruel pointed out. "We can't exactly let them go free."

"So you're proposing we have them _join_ us in our escape?" The pilot frowned. "Once we exit the colony, we'll be involved in some pretty heavy fighting."

"It wasn't exactly that I detained them," Ramius interjected. "As a matter of fact, it was more like _they_ were detaining _me_. That fellow with the guns, Blade... he basically took me prisoner, then convinced his friends to do what I said anyway." She shrugged. "A most puzzling individual."

"Yes..." La Flaga paused for a moment, thinking. "You know, Lieutenant, maybe we should get him in on this; I wouldn't be surprised if he knows how to handle a warship's weaponry."

"But that's crazy!" Badgiruel protested. "He's a civilian, and a Coordinator who's just a kid!"

"No, he's not," he countered. "Biologically, he may be a kid -though I'm beginning to think that looks deceive- but inside, he's older than any of us. There's a very mature, calculating brain in there. And one thing's for sure: Blade is _not_ a civilian. He may not be with any organization or government, but you can tell just from the way he moves that he's a soldier. And he's a chameleon, too."

Ramius frowned. "A what?"

"A chameleon is what they call people like him." La Flaga raised an eyebrow. "You've seen it, haven't you? He slips from one persona to another like changing clothes, or flicking a switch. You called him a student, but when the fighting broke out, he just _changed_, into a hardened soldier. And there's more to it than just mentality: the good ones -which he clearly is- can change their appearance with ease, blend in with any crowd. An exotic talent, but one that would help keep a fugitive alive."

"You're saying that this sixteen-year-old student is a hardened killer?" Badgiruel said incredulously.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," he said flatly. "Look at the facts, Ensign: he captured a GINN, _while it was in motion_, blew Lieutenant Ramius's gun out of her hand, and, for pity's sake, he just _admitted_ to being the Crimson Tiger! Do you have any idea how many members of Blue Cosmos died at his hand?"

"Then that's all the more reason he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the _Archangel_'s weapons," she said, recovering her mental balance. "Someone like him, who has so much reason to hate Naturals..."

"But he _doesn't_ hate Naturals," Ramius disagreed. "Blade was willing to kill me -a Natural, to be sure- to protect his friends, who are _also_ Naturals, besides Kira. And while he may have killed a number of Blue Cosmos people -terrorists- he also has a hatred for ZAFT that approaches pathological. I'm not sure I'd want him in any kind of leadership role, but I daresay he can be trusted when it comes to fighting ZAFT." She nodded decisively, decision made. "I'll talk to him."

"Well, then, that just leaves the matter of the Strike," La Flaga said. He raised his hands. "It's just about our only hope of getting out of here intact."

"Why don't _you_ pilot it this time, Lieutenant La Flaga?" Badgiruel suggested.

He firmly shook his head. "No way. That kid's a miracle programmer; have you seen what he did to the Strike's OS? There's no way a Natural could even grasp it anymore."

"Well, then, make him change it back, to the..." She trailed off, as she realized how ridiculous the idea was; under the old operating system, the G-weapon was barely capable of movement. "But still," she continued doggedly, "it seems inappropriate to put such a powerful -not to mention secret- weapon in the hands of a civilian, especially a Coordinator who's still just a kid."

"I don't see that we have a choice," Ramius sighed. "A Natural couldn't fly it properly with the old OS, and a Coordinator is needed for the new one. That leaves us with Kira, and Blade. The so-called 'Crimson Tiger' will have to suffice if Kira refuses, but from what I saw, Kira is a more capable pilot." She stood. "I'll go down and speak with them. Please hold the fort while I'm gone."

* * *

Down in the crew area, Kira was now awake; Kevin, on the other hand, had just gone to sleep. And it was by no means peaceful. 

"Training is over, Hydra. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Your first mission. This is a solo op, Commander Walker; you're the only member of the team who's ready. No backup. You sure you can handle it?"

"Absolutely, sir. I'm ready to strike a blow for ZAFT; it's time those accursed Naturals got a taste of what they've done to us."

"This won't be against Naturals, Hydra. It's harsh, but some of our people must be sacrificed if we're to begin the revolution. The average people of the PLANTs must_ be convinced of the necessity, even if we have to do it ourselves. Can you accept that?"_

"Yes, sir. The good of the many outweighs the good of the few. Their deaths will not be in vain."

"Excellent. Commander Walker, you leave for SS 29 in two hours. Good luck, soldier."

Kevin jerked awake as Ramius approached; already the substance of his dream was fading, but he would never forget that voice. _Get out of my head, Oracle. You've been dead for years, and Hydra never really existed._

"If I might have a moment of your time," Ramius began, looking at the two Coordinators. "There's something I have to ask you."

Blade swung out of the bunk down to the floor, face inscrutable; by contrast, Kira was looking suspicious. "What do you want?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering how to put it. "We need your help," the lieutenant said finally. "ZAFT will not wait long, I'm sure, before attacking us again. I hate to ask you this, Kira, but will you pilot the Strike for us again?"

That was exactly what he'd been expecting. "No!" Kira said instantly. "I'm not gonna do it. Please, don't get us anymore involved in this war than you already have."

"Look, Kira-"

"Yeah, you may be right in saying that there's a war going on outside our world, but we don't want any part of it! We don't want anything to do with your war!" he snarled, expression fierce. "That's why we chose to live in neutral territory! And yet you still-"

"Quiet, Kira," Kevin broke in. He turned to him, eyes narrowed. "I sympathize, tovarisch, believe me; but this _is_ our war now. The instant ZAFT attacked our 'neutral colony', we became involved in this. Doesn't matter that Earth was building weapons here, or whatever other reason there may have been for the attack. The fact remains that they attacked _us._ We _are_ involved." He turned to Ramius. "Lieutenant, if Kira still refuses, I'll pilot the Strike. But... I'm not a mobile suit pilot. I'm not as good as you, Kira," he added. "But whatever, I'll assist any way I can. I'm beginning to really hate these bastards."

Actually, Ramius suspected he'd "really hated" ZAFT for quite some time. But before she could say anything in response, an intercom panel lit up. _"Bridge to Lieutenant Ramius!"_

She activated the panel. "Yes?"

_"ZAFT's attacking,"_ La Flaga said grimly; behind her, the students gasped._ "We have incoming mobile suits. Get up here and assume command! You're the Captain!"_

Ramius's eyes widened. "Hold it!" she protested. _"I_ am?"

_"I have seniority,"_ he explained,_ "but I don't know the first thing about this ship."_

"I understand. What about your mobile armor, Lieutenant?"

"Negative; not ready."

"Then please take charge of the CIC; I'll be right there." She signed off and turned back to the students. "You heard it for yourselves: we're entering battle once again."

Mir looked frightened. "Oh, no. Tolle..." Her boyfriend hugged her reassuringly.

"We're badly shorthanded, and the enemy outnumbers us," Ramius went on. "This won't be easy. Let's just hope we can all survive this and escape Heliopolis."

Kira's fist clenched. "You people aren't being fair!" he hissed.

"What, Kira?"

He glared at her. "And I suppose you'll tell us that there's just the one mobile suit aboard, and that I'm the only one capable of piloting it, _right?"_

"I'm afraid that is essentially the situation," she agreed heavily. "This isn't my choice, Kira. You have to make up your own mind. But without the Strike, we don't have much of a chance."

Kira looked away for a moment. "All right," he said finally. "I'll do it."

Ramius carefully did _not_ sigh in relief; instead, she turned to Kevin. "Blade, I'm afraid your GINN still isn't ready; Chief Murdoch and his people are still repairing the minor damage you inflicted -I believe they were muttering about the absurdity of repairing _hatch controls_ at a time like this- and they're also modifying it to accept some of the Strike's spare weaponry, as well as altering the paint and transponder so that we don't accidentally mistake it for a ZAFT unit. In light of this, I'd like you to come with me to the Bridge; I believe your... expertise may come in handy."

Kevin smiled coldly. "With pleasure, Captain. With pleasure."

* * *

On the ZAFT battleship _Vesalius_, Rau Le Creuset watched his forces begin to move out, idly stroking his chin. He had much to think about, after detecting the radio beacon on Heliopolis. 

_So,_ he mused._ Hydra still lives. He must have been the one who set off that bomb; none of the others were brainwashed. It appears he's also recovered at least a portion of his memory, so he'll no doubt be a very willing participant in the battle ahead; and if he's kept in practice, Hydra could be a great hindrance. But how can he still be alive?_

"Captain!" One of the Bridge crew members looked up at Le Creuset's flag captain, Fredrik Ades. "Zala has taken X303 Aegis, and he's heading for the colony!"

Ades sat bolt upright. _"What!_ Athrun Zala's taking one of the captured units? Recall him!"

"Let him go," Le Creuset said quietly. "We've finished the data extraction, so there's no reason not to use them. And this could be most interesting." He floated to Ades's side. "Think of it: one Earth Forces mobile suit pitted against another."

Ades obviously wasn't completely convinced, but he accepted the order; and the Commander went back to his thoughts. _Hydra... If you _have_ returned, you obviously haven't located the radio beacon inside you. Or are you deliberately sending us a message?_ It was difficult to be sure, he knew. Every member of Hydra's team had been sneaky; and Hydra himself had been the sneakiest of the bunch. His motives were difficult to decipher, but there _was_ a motive. His people did not make mistakes.

Which meant dealing with him would be particularly problematic. The simplest method, Le Creuset knew, would be to simply alert ZAFT in general to be on the lookout for him. But he wasn't yet certain he wanted to do that. Hydra's intervention into the war could completely alter the course of history, and it was yet to be determined if that was a good or bad thing.

Which left him with a single operative he could trust, one man nearly unknown to ZAFT in general, one man who was completely reliable. No name, no face, no past. He could be trusted to keep an eye on things, and take action as deemed appropriate. Le Creuset trusted the agent's judgment.

He turned to _Vesalius'_s comm officer. "Get me Invictus," he ordered.

* * *

Kevin stepped onto the _Archangel_'s Bridge just behind Ramius and took a moment to sweep the room with his eyes, apparently reflexively checking for threats; his was not a peaceful existence, and old habits died hard. 

Fortunately.

Ramius stepped forward and sat in the command chair. "Mr. Pal," she said, turning to look at the man sitting at the fire-control console, "please show Mr. Walker how things work."

"No need, Captain," Kevin said; he was already standing next to Romero Pal, drawn as if by instinct. "I've worked with a system like this before; I can handle it."

"Very well." She pointed down at CIC, where La Flaga, Badgiruel, and Jackie Tonomura were already sitting. "We've temporarily reconfigured one of the ECM consoles for fire control. Please take your station."

"Yes, Ma'am."

La Flaga watched him out of the corner of his eye; this Blade fellow was taking to military discipline like he was born to it, and that line about having used a similar system seemed somewhat odd, though he couldn't put a finger on it. He resolved that, assuming they survived the next few hours, he'd see what he could find out about the so-called "Crimson Tiger". He had a feeling it would prove interesting.

Assuming Blade didn't waste him for knowing too much.

La Flaga was, of course, quite safe; Kevin was quite willing to kill people to protect his secrets, but only if he already had some other reason for killing them. Which frequently occurred, to be sure, but not among a crew such as this.

"Systems ready," he reported. Fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard, he snorted. "Which is a good thing. We have incoming."

"Concur," Tonomura, manning the scanning console (whose devices ranged from radar to infrared detection equipment) said. "Two GINNs... and another GINN, entering separately. Captain, it's accompanied by an X number. X303 Aegis is approaching!"

Ramius blinked. "They're already sending it out into battle against us?"

"It's theirs now!" La Flaga said sharply. "Are you going to wait and let it sink us?"

"No, of course not." She glanced down into CIC. "Launch the Strike; give it the Sword Striker pack this time, we _don't_ want too much collateral damage."

"Affirmative." Badgiruel began passing orders.

"Link laser designator to missiles and target the incoming mobile suits," Badgiruel ordered.

"Phase-shift armor withstands projectile weapons," Ramius countered. "Link laser to main cannon. Fire on my command."

"And while you're doing that," Kevin muttered, "I'll use the projectiles on the GINNs; unlike _some_ people, the fact that GINNs don't _have_ PSA hasn't slipped my mind." Luckily, his comment went unnoticed.

Down in the hanger, Kira sat tensely in the Strike's cockpit, waiting as the mobile suit was moved into the catapult. He wondered, as he waited, if he could possibly have seen what he thought he saw back at Morgenroete. _Athrun... Could it be? I'd better tell Blade._

While the mechanics continued fussing over the Strike, Kira punched up a frequency on his radio. It was one Kevin had given him, to be used when he needed to get a hold of him immediately, or discretely. He had no idea where the receiver was, but Kevin had assured him it would always reach him. "Blade, you there?"

_"Right here, tovarisch,"_ Blade replied instantly. _"What's up?"_

"Remember that ZAFT soldier back at Morgenroete? The one you confronted?"

_"Hard to forget,"_ was the wry response.

Kira hesitated. "I... I think it might have been Athrun."

_"Athrun? Athrun Zala?"_ Kevin's voice went curiously flat._ "You mean the Athrun we went to school with? I hope you're wrong, tovarisch. I really hope you're wrong."_ There was an audible swallow on the other end. _"Because if you're right... Athrun Zala is now my enemy."_

Kira didn't have time to respond; he signed off hastily as the launch preparations were completed. "Now it's the Sword Striker? A sword... Well, that should at least prevent a repeat of last time." He'd had no idea a mobile suit could possibly have a weapon as powerful as the one that blew a mobile suit-sized hole in the colony wall.

He would not forget the lesson.

Kira keyed the radio again. "Kira Yamato, launching!"

* * *

"The Strike is airborne," Badgiruel reported. 

"Good," Ramius replied. "And CIC's status?"

"We're ready," La Flaga answered. "Okay, Blade, this is it. Think you can handle it?"

Kevin snorted. "Lieutenant, I have more battle experience than the rest of this crew combined. Of course I can handle it." He glanced at the Hawk. "We have incoming GINNs. Give me control of port Valiant."

La Flaga raised an eyebrow, but complied; if this theoretical "kid" said he could handle it, he could handle it. And he obviously knew far more than he admitted. "Okay, kid, Valiant 2 is yours. Keep 'em off us."

Blade didn't reply; he was preparing his targeting solution, one which hopefully didn't involve blowing up Heliopolis. Then he swore suddenly, looking at his displays. "Solkin syn. Lieutenant, they're equipped with heavy artillery, heavy missiles and what looks like some kind of beam bazooka. Weapons configuration D, the bunker busters."

The pilot turned in his chair. "Heavy artillery? What are they _thinking?_ That'll tear the colony apart!" Then the rest of the statement penetrated. "Weapons configuration D? How did you know that?"

Kevin smiled enigmatically. "Let's just say I have rather more in-depth knowledge of ZAFT than most. Intell, if you will." He stroked a couple of keys. "Okay, I've got a targeting solution. Take the shot?"

"Affirmative," La Flaga confirmed. "Kill it while the killing's good."

"Roger that." He tapped another key, and sent a shot from the _Archangel_'s port linear cannon at one of the GINNs, blowing it in half.

Meanwhile, Kira was approaching the GINN and Aegis pair. He'd already recognized the G-weapon, and wondered anew if his old friend was the pilot. But of more immediate concern was the beam-bazooka-toting GINN, which seemed quite determined to blow him out of the sky.

The Strike juked to the side, dodging the first blast; but Kira winced as the heavy beam struck the colony's support shaft, as did the next. The GINN's pilot was reckless in his intent to annihilate him.

_I can't keep this up,_ he thought._ If I keep dodging, he'll blast the colony to pieces. I gotta..._

The GINN, piloted by Miguel Aiman, fired again, and this time the Strike did not dodge. Instead, it took the hit on its arm-mounted grappler, which doubled as a shield. There was an intense flash of light as the beam struck, and Miguel grinned. "Did I get it?"

He was instantly answered as Kira flew out of the blast, enormous, fifteen-meter-long ship-killing blade swinging. With an incoherent snarl, he attempted to bisect the enemy, but Miguel dodged, narrowly avoiding the gigantic weapon.

"It's quick!" he muttered, firing another useless barrage. "Get behind it, Athrun!"

Athrun tried, despite his own feelings; he, too, wondered if he'd confronted an old friend earlier. But for now, he couldn't allow that to influence him.

Not that it mattered; the Strike kept him in view the whole time, and even tried a forceful slash. But he maneuvered the Aegis out of the way, and Miguel Aiman rushed forward again. "I've gotcha now!"

Kira had other plans; he reached up, grabbed the handle of the beam boomerang mounted on his left shoulder, and flung, sending a circle of energy at the GINN. It missed at first, but just when Miguel thought he was safe, it doubled back... and cut off his right leg.

Athrun watched in horror as the Strike took advantage of the opening, raised its huge blade, and swung... neatly cutting the GINN in two. _"Miguel!"_

On the _Archangel_, La Flaga locked in a targeting solution. "You're mine," he muttered, and fired the port Gottfried, neatly blowing the last GINN in two.

Just one problem: the half he'd vaporized wasn't the one with the missiles, and they were accidentally triggered by the explosion. They went flashing off... and blowing a large section of the colony's support shaft into tiny pieces.

The colony was beginning to break up around them, but Kira and Athrun paid it no heed. "Kira!" the ZAFT pilot called. "Kira Yamato. It _is_ you, isn't it, Kira?"

Kira's blood went cold at the confirmation. "Athrun! Athrun _Zala?"_

The two squared off, flashing past each other and coming to a relative halt; Strike holding its ship-killing blade, Aegis its beam rifle. Yet neither moved to attack.

"What is this?" Kira demanded. "Why are you here?"

"You should talk!" Athrun retorted. "What are you doing in that thing?"

_"Kira, get out of there!"_ Kevin suddenly called._ "This whole bloody colony is breaking up around us!"_

The warning came much too late; the Strike was being sucked out a hole by the sudden vacuum, and Athrun watched helplessly, utterly confused by the latest events. _"Kira, no!"_

On the _Vesalius_, Le Creuset and Ades watched as Heliopolis tore itself apart. "Commander..." Ades said softly, horrified.

The commander himself said nothing, but a voice came from behind them. "Invictus, reporting as ordered, sir."

* * *

Author's note: All right, the first chapter has arrived. 

I realize few -if any- of those who frequent this section have heard of me; I'm better known for my work in other sections. But I'll probably be a little more visible around here now. This is my first SEED fic, but it won't be the last. Those of you who _are_ familiar with me, well, now you know what I've been up to for the last seven months or so.

This story is, obviously, AU; and it will only get more so as events progress. Kevin Walker's enigmatic history (which, by the way, ended up _far_ more convoluted that I originally intended) will be revealed bit by bit throughout, including his acquaintance with Cagalli. In addition, certain events that irritated me in the anime will be suitably altered… usually via Kevin Walker's intervention.

I suppose there isn't much to say at this point; I'd appreciate reviews. Solid Shark


	2. Chapter 2: Silent Run

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

The silence on the _Vesalius_'s Bridge was profound. 

The personnel couldn't decide whether to stare at the debris that had moments earlier been a space colony outside the viewports, or the newcomer on the Bridge itself.

At the Bridge hatch stood a figure in black battle armor, resembling an exoskeleton; it was completely featureless, even the visor opaque. Over his right shoulder, the twine-wrapped handle of a katana protruded, and a pistol was holstered at his right hip. Shorter than Le Creuset, he was nonetheless a terrifying presence.

The codename Invictus was only whispered throughout ZAFT. A man without a face, a name, or a past, he was only rumored of. A lethal assassin, all that was known of him for certain was that he was Rau Le Creuset's secret ace-in-the-hole, his own private agent.

That was all that was _known_, but rumors abounded. That he was a cyborg. That he truly had no face. That he was, in reality, a robot. Many rumors, each more outlandish than the last.

At this moment, Fredrik Ades was willing to believe every single one of them.

"You called, Commander?" Invictus spoke with a metallic-edged voice, quiet and frightening.

Le Creuset nodded. "Yes, I did." He glanced at Ades. "We'll deal with this situation, and the search for the legged ship, in a few moments. Keep an eye on things."

"Of course, Commander."

The masked man turned back to his agent. "Come with me."

Le Creuset lead the armored man to his office, where Invictus leaned against the wall. "I assume something's come up?"

"Yes." The Commander glanced out the viewport. "Hydra has resurfaced."

Invictus tensed. "You're sure?"

"There's no doubt of it. The beacon was his. When last I saw, he was piloting a stolen GINN on Heliopolis; by now, he's likely boarded the legged ship."

"Hydra. So he _is_ alive." The agent shook his head, then touched a control on his helmet. Instantly, the faceplate turned transparent, revealing a surprisingly young face... one with jade eyes, framed by sandy hair. "Man, I hate this helmet," he muttered.

"It's necessary," Le Creuset reminded him. "Unless you want your presence detected."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. This suit's all that's preventing Hydra from sensing me. Believe me, I know." Invictus cocked his head. "So. Hydra's resurfaced, and he's aboard a ship you're trying to blast to atoms. What do you want _me_ to do?" There was a slight edge to his voice.

"Yes, yes," his superior said, somewhat impatiently. "I haven't forgotten our arrangement. You do missions for me, and in exchange, I give you intelligence to aid in your hunt, I don't ask you any questions about Hydra's true identity, and I don't ask you to fight him. No, I'm not asking you that. What I want is for you to shadow the legged ship; should we succeed in destroying it, I want you to rescue Hydra and bring him to me. I want to speak with him, find out exactly what happened thirty months ago when the project ended. If the rumors are true, I can't blame him for taking such dire actions... but I _would_ like to know how he survived a fusion bomb."

Invictus looked skeptical. "Rescue him? Sure. But I don't think he'd be very interested in talking to you, Commander. If the rumors _are_ true, he won't want anything to do with ZAFT. Unless..." He paused. "If we can get him to Commander Waltfeld, it might work."

Le Creuset raised an eyebrow. "The Desert Tiger? Why him?"

"Because two years ago, he took in a young man going by the name Racher. Discounting a rather nasty scar, the teenager Waltfeld taught exactly matched Hydra's description." He shrugged. "Your call, Commander, but that seems to have the greatest chance of success."

The Commander considered that, then nodded. "Very well. I trust your judgment." He leaned back in his chair. "By the way, how is your hunt going?"

"Hard to say," Invictus replied. "I _think_ Carter is the only one left, but since Oracle and his band of mad scientists didn't keep exact records, there could be more." He rolled his eyes. "And Carnehan hasn't been seen since that time in Siberia, so there's no telling when he'll turn up. But yeah, I think most of Hydra's copies have been terminated." He chuckled dryly. "One wonders how Hydra would react if he knew just how many of him were running around."

"Not well, from what you've said." Le Creuset frowned. "I'm not certain how Carter can be dealt with; he's currently stationed at Carpentaria, and it probably wouldn't be wise to eliminate him just now; difficult to explain, at least. But if he is indeed the last Serpent's Head remaining, that just leaves three people who share Hydra's DNA."

"Yeah, and only one of them is on my target list." Invictus smiled coldly. "Carnehan is just a bonus. I've heard a lot about that psychopath, though he's not in my memories. Hydra obviously wasn't aware that Carnehan was his brother."

"No, it seems he was not." Le Creuset stood. "I've got to deal with the aftermath of Heliopolis's destruction. I want _you_ to transfer your operations to the _Gamow._ I trust your shuttle is up to the mission?"

"Yeah, it's got all the latest bells and whistles; matte-black radar-absorbent coating, engines with infrared shielding, the works." The agent walked to the hatch. "I'll be ready to move on your signal, Commander."

"Good."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the _Archangel_, the young man to whom Invictus bore a startling resemblance sat petrified in his Bridge chair. 

_An entire space colony, gone, just like that,_ Kevin Walker thought,_ all because those ZAFT bastards wanted to make absolutely certain they never faced this ship or the Strike in combat. He smiled coldly. Well, too bad, suckers. You missed, and we're going to make you pay for it._

He hardly noticed that he was slipping back into long-ago thought patterns, as the soldier in him awoke from its long sleep.

"It's gone..." La Flaga whispered, stunned. "It was... so fragile..."

Badgiruel was the only one who had kept her head; she was attempting to contact the Strike. "Strike, this is the _Archangel_, come in. Kira Yamato, do you read me? Please respond."

It took a couple minutes, but Kira's voice finally came over the radio. _"Kira here,"_ he said, sounding weary and just as shocked as everyone else.

The ensign sighed in relief. "Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Do you have our position?"

"Yes."

"Then return." She paused. "You're able to, right?"_"Yes."_

_One-word answers,_ Kevin thought, concerned._ That's not like him at all._

La Flaga turned in his chair. "Nice work, there, kid. I guess your reputation _is_ well-deserved. Where'd you learn all that, anyway?"

"I'm afraid, Lieutenant, that I'm not going to answer that," Blade said coolly. "There are some things that should remain secret, even now."

"I see." The pilot declined to press the issue.

"As to my reputation," Kevin went on, "I'd say it's deserved. I've killed, by my count, three hundred forty-seven people." He shrugged. "Not one of them unprovoked, of course. I just seem to have a knack for attracting assassination attempts. Well..." he amended, "there _were_ a few Blue Cosmos types that I went after, instead of vis-versa. But those people don't deserve to be called human."

Badgiruel shot him a suspicious look. "And why, exactly, should we trust you?" she said bluntly. "For all we know, you may have carried a weapon with you even in here."

Kevin snorted. "Of course I did." He opened his jacket to reveal the pair of Colt revolver handles sticking out of their holsters. "And if you think you're going to confiscate them, think again. I haven't dared go anywhere without a weapon in years."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're in violation of a number of regulations, Mr. Walker. And paranoid, to boot."

"If you'd been through half as much as I have," he shot back, "_you'd_ be paranoid, too."

"Enough," Ramius said wearily; she had the unfortunate feeling that Blade and Badgiruel were going to clash frequently over the next few weeks. "I'll allow it, Ensign; if Blade had any interest in harming us, he'd have already taken over the entire ship. Don't doubt it."

"As you command, Ma'am," Badgiruel said in a tone just short of insubordinate. "But if he's going to be working with us, he should at least be in some kind of uniform."

"Whatever you say, Ensign," Kevin said, not bothering to disguise his sarcasm. "As long as you don't try to hurt me or confiscate my weaponry, we should get along just fine."

"You're not accustomed to hiding your feelings about superior officers, are you, Blade?" La Flaga said, quietly enough that no one else heard.

"As you've no doubt realized, Lieutenant, I'm a snake-eater," he replied. "They don't _expect_ us to be spit-and-polish."

The pilot nodded, then drifted to the front of the Bridge. "So, what now, Captain? Think they'll be coming after us again?"

"I think we should proceed on that assumption," Ramius answered. "ZAFT is quite determined to destroy us and the Strike; I doubt they'll give up so easily." She glanced down into CIC. "Any sign of their ships?"

"It's impossible to sort out this mess," Tonomura replied after a moment. "Too many heat-sources within the debris. They could be anywhere."

"They'll have the same problem with us," Kevin put in. "Even a ship this size can't be distinguished in all this wreckage."

"Which just leaves us with the question of how to get out of here." La Flaga stroked his chin. "All we've got are the Strike, my damaged Zero, and one slightly-used GINN, which I gather Chief Murdoch still hasn't quite gotten all the blood out of yet." At that, Kevin didn't even look sheepish; his expression indicated he saw it as the price of doing business. "Should we just hit the engines and blast on out of here? This is a pretty fast ship; or so I've been led to believe," he added with a slight smile.

"The enemy's _Nazca_-class is a swift vessel as well," Ramius said, shaking her head. "There's no guarantee of us losing them."

"We could always surrender." La Flaga raised his hands. "That _is_ an option, you know."

Before the Captain could decide how to respond to that, Badgiruel's voice cut in, sounding irate. "You're what? Who gave you authorization?"

"What's the problem?" Ramius demanded.

"The Strike is returning, but it seems to be carrying a lifeboat from the colony," she replied.

"And exactly _what_ is the problem with that?" Kevin said icily; his eyes were frozen jade.

"This is a top-secret ship," Badgiruel said, glaring at him, "and we can't just go around picking up refugees when we're trying to escape!"

The Blade glared back. "I just punched up a damage estimate, Ensign, and from the looks of things, that lifeboat isn't going to make it without us. So are you suggesting we just leave them out here to _die?"_

Ramius winced, rubbing her head; the two were beginning to give her a headache. _It's going to be a very long trip,_ she thought tiredly. _Thank goodness Blade will be flying, not taking a regular post on the Bridge. I don't think I could stand much more of this._

"All right," she said finally. "Give him permission."

Badgiruel looked at her, surprised. "Captain..."

"We can't afford to waste time on little things like this. We can't leave until we recover the Strike, so we don't have time to argue."

The ensign saluted, looking _most_ unhappy with the decision. "Very well, Captain; it will be done."

Ramius turned to Kevin. "Blade, perhaps you should go down to the hanger; your GINN may be critical to our survival, and you seem to have the most knowledge of ZAFT technology of any of us. Chief Murdoch may need your assistance."

He saluted. "Aye, Captain."

Watching Kevin leave the Bridge, Badgiruel scowled after him. "Now, if he could just show that kind of obedience to officers he _doesn't_ respect," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Kevin half-walked, half-floated down the _Archangel_'s corridors toward the hanger with the ease of someone who had spent most of his life in space. 

To be honest, though, he preferred gravity wells; weightlessness was not the easiest of environments to fight in, and it was difficult to stay in proper shape. The seven years he'd spent on the moon, his time in the colonies, and his early childhood in Orb had given him a healthy appreciation for gravity.

That, however, was far from his mind. Kevin Walker was instead brooding, something that he had done frequently in the three years since leaving since Copernicus, since parting from Kira and Athrun Zala... since the day his parents died. They had been victims of Blue Cosmos, government officials from Orb who had chosen the wrong day to launch from the Panama Spaceport for the PLANTs on a diplomatic mission. The anti-Coordinator terrorists had sabotaged the mass driver, causing the passenger shuttle to head for space at accelerations meant for cargo... accelerations that had turned everyone onboard into human-flavored toothpaste.

Since that day, he'd been on the run, assuming various identities as necessary, and never revealing just how important his parents had truly been, just how high-born he truly was. Not even Kira knew, for even at six years old, Kevin's parents had opted to send him to school under an alias, as a security measure.

Which meant that even ZAFT had no idea who their old "secret weapon" really was; they had, in fact, ensured that they _couldn't_ know... the day they wiped his memory.

Kevin gritted his teeth, fists clenching, as he remembered what they had done to him. The only evidence of the work those maniacal scientists had produced lay within him; at least, as far as he knew. He'd done his best to insure that, and he devoutly hoped he'd succeeded; both for revenge, and because he didn't want anyone else to have their life ruined like his had been.

Blade shook off these dire thoughts as he entered the hanger; they were the same thoughts he'd been thinking for two and a half years, and besides, it wouldn't do for anyone to notice his inner turmoil.

He drifted into the huge open space and propelled himself up to a "height" from where he could see the lifeboat's hatch as it opened; at the same time, he twitched the muscles of his right eye socket, and the view suddenly appeared much closer.

The Strike's cockpit opened above the lifeboat, and Kira emerged, looking curiously at the object. His eyes widened as he recognized the first person to emerge... as did Birdy, the robot bird Athrun Zala had given him when they parted, three years earlier. The bird swooped down toward the young girl, twittering.

Kira chased after it, and Flay Allster spotted him. "Hey! I know you! You're one of Sai's friends, right?" She pushed off from the hatch and slammed into him, sending them both drifting toward the deckhead above.

He was, to say the least, startled; and it was probably fortunate for all concerned that he couldn't see Kevin's highly amused reaction. As it was... "Flay? Is it really you, Flay Allster?"

She looked up at Kira, a mixture of confusion and fear evident on her face and in her voice. "Please, tell me what's going on! What in the world happened?"

"Bad things, Flay," Kevin said, coming up near them. "But we seem to be okay for now."

Flay looked at him with a slight frown. "Um... Have we met?"

"Oh, sorry." He shrugged apologetically. "We have, actually, but you may not remember. The name's Walker, Kevin Walker. You can call me-"

"Blade," she said suddenly. "That's right; I remember Sai introducing us." The fearful look came back. "This is a ZAFT ship, right? What's gonna happen to us? And what are you two doing here?"

"This isn't a ZAFT ship," Kira said reassuringly. "It's actually an Earth Forces vessel."

"You're lying; there's a couple of mobile suits in here!"

"No, the Strike belongs to the Earth Alliance, too."

"And that GINN," Kevin added with a slight smile, "is mine. Let's just say I have a certain... way with people. The original pilot came down with a bad case of death while I was discussing the matter with him, and I just appropriated things he no longer needed."

Kira felt a slight chill at the easy way his friend talked of killing people, but he let it pass; he really had no idea what Blade had been through, after all. It wasn't his place to judge him.

"Wow," he said after a moment. "I'm so relieved to see you here. Hey, guess what? Sai and Miriallia are here too. Don't worry; everything's going to be just fine."

_Speak for yourself,_ Kevin thought, turning moody again._ I don't know if things'll ever be "just fine" for me again._

* * *

Some time later, the students from Heliopolis gathered in the crew quarters they'd been assigned, while out in the corridor the ship's crew sorted out the rescued refugees. 

"I wish they'd tell us where the ship is going," Kuzzey said plaintively.

"Don't complain," Kevin said absently; he was sitting on an upper bunk, cleaning his revolvers; something which bemused Flay, but she assumed she'd get an explanation eventually. "It might have slipped your notice, Kuzzey, but we're not exactly high on the list of people who 'need to know' about the ship's movements and operations. If it weren't for some rather nasty and unusual circumstances, we wouldn't be here at all. As it is, we're just passengers; so try not to get too much of a swelled head, okay?"

Kira looked sharply at his friend of ten years; in the few hours since boarding the ship, he'd begun to change quite noticeably. Kevin was less patient with those who irritated him, he was far more at ease with weaponry and military terminology than even Kira had suspected, and he seemed to be increasingly moody.

"Well, we _are_ still in a combat situation," Mir pointed out, after an uncomfortable silence. "Those ZAFT ships are still out there."

Flay looked alarmed. "What? You mean we're less safe now that we're onboard?" She turned to Sai. "Say it isn't so!"

"Relax, mon ami," Kevin said quietly. "Personally, given a choice between being stuck on a warship that's about to be attacked, but has a fighting chance, and being stuck on a lifeboat without working engines and the possibility of breathing vacuum staring me in the face, I'll take the fighting chance." _Quicker, too,_ he thought, but prudently did not say it aloud.

"I guess you're right," she agreed, though she still looked nervous.

"Bloody ZAFT," Blade muttered to himself. "I'm getting real tired of those bastards. Solkin syn." He double-checked the cylinders of his revolvers, snapped the loading gates shut, and holstered them. That done, he proceeded to sharpen the various knives scattered liberally about his body; the metal-on-stone noise grated somewhat on most of them, but Kira found it oddly comforting. A familiar sound, one which he'd heard countless times during the year since Kevin joined him on Heliopolis.

"Kira Yamato," called a voice from the doorway.

Kira turned to see La Flaga standing there, having appeared almost as silently as Kevin could have managed. "Lieutenant?"

"Mr. Murdoch's not very happy, you know," the Lieutenant said, an apparent non sequitur. "He doesn't have enough people. So, you maintain your machine."

"My machine?" The younger pilot looked puzzled for a moment, then suspicious. "What do you mean, _my_ machine?"

"Let's just say that's how things worked out," La Flaga said with a slight smile.

Kira's expression turned to indignation. "Sure, I flew it twice, but that doesn't mean I can fight or anything. I don't want this to make people think I'm a soldier or anything."

La Flaga rubbed his head, looking mildly disgusted. "So, when the battle starts again, are those going to be your last words?" he said sarcastically. "Kira, you have the power to make a difference, don't you? So why not put it to good use?" He waved a hand. "Right now, you guys and I are the only ones who can protect this ship, you know?" He turned to leave. "There's precious little time, by the way; including time to think it over."

"Excuse me, sir," Sai called after him, "but where are we headed?"

"To a Eurasian military base." The Hawk looked more than a little disgusted. "We'll be lucky if things go according to plan."

"Eurasian..." Kevin's eyes narrowed. "Artemis? The backwater fortress with the Umbrella shield?"

"That's right. You've heard of it?"

"Something like that." He unleashed a torrent of Russian invective under his breath. "Eurasians. Bloody lovely. I don't trust those guys."

"Just between you and me, I don't either," La Flaga said gravely. "But we don't have much choice. We don't have the supplies to reach the Moon." He walked away. "I'll see you guys later."

Kira stared at the deck for a moment. "But I don't-" He shook his head sharply and fled the room.

Flay glanced between the other students. "Wait a minute? What was all that about?"

"You remember that your lifeboat was brought in by a mobile suit, right?" Sai said. "Well, Kira was the one piloting it."

"But why?" That left her even more confused. "Why would someone like him be in a mobile suit?"

Kevin lowered himself to the deck. "It's because... we're both Coordinators," he said softly. "And because I used to be the famous 'Crimson Tiger'." He, too, left the room, heading in a different direction from where Kira had gone.

Flay looked shocked. "You mean... they're really Coordinators? And that 'Blade' guy is Jack Carter?"

"They're still cherished friends," Mir said reassuringly. "Kira's one of the best friends I've ever had, and before today he'd never fought a battle in his life. I don't know Kevin quite as well, but I know he'd never hurt any of us. He's one of the kindest people I've ever met, even if he doesn't show it much. Kevin doesn't talk much, but he's as loyal a friend as you could have."

"Besides, you won't find _him_ working for ZAFT," Tolle put in. "If there's one thing Blade hates, it's ZAFT. I don't know why, but _he_ won't hesitate to protect us from them."

"I think I know part of it," his girlfriend said slowly. "Kira says Kevin talks in his sleep sometimes, and he used to mutter 'who am I'. I think maybe ZAFT did something to him, erased his memory or something. He seems to know who he is now, but he won't forgive them for it."

"I can't say I would either," Sai said. "But Mir's right, they're both on our side."

"I see..." Flay said thoughtfully.

* * *

Kevin stood in an empty, abandoned room at the very aft of the _Archangel_'s superstructure, at the end of a long, equally-empty corridor, with a large viewport overlooking the rear of the ship. He remembered the chamber from his long-ago perusal of the blueprints, during a time when his life _hadn't_ been filled with death and destruction. 

He was thinking of those times now because of a person he'd met during those last hours on Heliopolis, a girl with blonde hair who went by the name Cagalli. In retrospect, she had his undivided attention; for it was now evident there were still gaps in his memory.

The one called Blade stared blankly out into space. _Who _is_ she?_ he wondered. That was a very important question for he was absolutely convinced that he knew her. Thinking of her brought a strange rush of emotion, which told him that they knew each other very well indeed... as her strong reaction to seeing him unmasked further indicated. That told Kevin that they had been very close... and that something had happened to make her believe him dead.

That, in itself, wasn't too surprising, for he knew for a fact that he'd been dead before. How he could be standing where he was, Kevin didn't know, but the fact remained that he had been engulfed by the intense heat and radiation when he touched off the Project's thermonuclear fusion self-destruct device.

He cursed ZAFT vilely as he remembered how much they had taken from him. For nearly six months after the spectacular end to the Project, he'd had no idea who he was, and now it was clear that at least one secret remained deep within him. _Those _bastards_! Who _is_ Cagalli? Does she have anything to do with that ring?_

Kevin pulled off his right glove, revealing a gold ring on his finger; inscribed upon it were stylized letters, an intertwined K and C. He had long ago determined that the K was for his own name, and he suspected he had now met the C. But who was she to him? And how could he find out, without meeting her again?

He slammed his fist into his palm. He didn't remember someone who was once very close to him, but he remembered all too well what had made him forget. He remembered _exactly_ what ZAFT had done to him. And for that, he would never forgive them.

* * *

Things were coming to a head. On the Bridge, the battle was all but begun. 

"Heats source detected, Captain," Tonomura reported. "But- it's coming from beside us!"

La Flaga joined him at the scan station. "The _Nazca_-class," he noted. "If it's next to us on a parallel course, they must have figured out where we're going. Le Creuset always was the crafty sort."

"Where's their _Laurasia_-class?" Ramius asked.

Pal studied his displays. "Heat source detected behind us, Ma'am. When'd that appear?"

"So they've found us," La Flaga muttered. He drifted over to the copilot's chair, thinking. "Now what? Hey, bring me up a space map and the technical readouts of those ships."

"Do you have a plan?" Badgiruel asked.

He smiled. "I'm getting ready to think about it."

Ramius nodded, then activated her intercom. "Mr. Murdoch, status?"

_"The Lieutenant's Zero is fully repaired,"_ Murdoch reported. _"The kid's GINN is fixed, too, but we're still getting it set up to accept some of the Strike's spare weaponry; it'll be awhile yet."_

"Expedite, please. We're going to need all the help we can get." She signed off.

Badgiruel looked unhappy. "I still think we shouldn't be relying on someone like him. By his own admission, he's killed hundreds of people. Do we really want someone with that kind of record serving with us?"

"I don't see we've got a choice," La Flaga cut in. "That GINN might not have phase-shift, but with better weapons it'll give even a G-weapon trouble. Since Blade and Kira are the only people we have who can even fly those things..." He shrugged. "Besides, his reputation is a point in his favor, at least in this situation. Before the war, Atlantic Federation Intelligence had quite the file on Mr. Carter, and one interesting incident occurred not long before he vanished. It seems Blue Cosmos was getting desperate to kill the Crimson Tiger, so they set up an ambush for him at an underground facility in New Mexico, North America; someplace called 'Area 51', of all things. They sent in more than a hundred of their terrorists, with equipment up to and including a couple of main battle tanks."

"So how come he's still alive?" Neumann put in. "Did he smell a trap and avoid it completely?"

The pilot shook his head. "Not at all. Oh, there's little doubt he knew there was a trap, but he went in anyway. The resulting gunfire and explosions were reported a good distance away, in fact. But when it was all over, the Tiger came out barely scratched... and _none_ of the terrorists emerged. That's one hard to kill teenager, and that could mean the difference between life and death for this entire ship." La Flaga looked back at Badgiruel. "I know you don't like or trust him, Ensign, but we don't have time to be choosy. Now, let's get down to planning."

* * *

Down in the cafeteria, the Heliopolis students, minus Kira and Kevin, sat together at a table. "Sounds like the battle's starting soon," Kuzzey said gloomily. 

"Yeah," Tolle agreed. "I guess they saw through the deception."

Their fears were shortly confirmed. _"All hands to Level One Battlestations,"_ the PA system announced. _"All hands to Level One Battlestations. Kira Yamato, to the Bridge."_

"Kira..." Mir said quietly as the echoes faded. "I wonder what he decided."

"If Kira decides not to fight, the future won't be looking to good for us," Sai mused.

She turned to her boyfriend. "You know, Tolle, we're always sitting on the bench, waiting for Kira to get in the game and protect us," she said slowly.

"Yeah..." Tolle looked up. "If we have the power to make a difference, why not put it to good use?" he said, echoing La Flaga.

After a moment, Sai and Kuzzey both nodded; and by silent agreement, they got up and headed for the Bridge.

* * *

Kevin, too, had heard the PA announcement, and he was heading for the pilot's locker room; his mobile suit still wasn't ready, but it would be before the battle was over. 

He ran into La Flaga along the way. "We got a plan, Lieutenant?"

"Something resembling one, anyway," the older pilot acknowledged. "You going out there?"

"Once my GINN is ready." Kevin paused at the hatch. "Look, Lieutenant, understand this: I'm not doing this for the Earth Forces, and I'm not doing this out of some altruistic purity of motive. I'm not loyal to any government, but if I were, it would be Orb, my homeland. I'm doing this to protect myself, my friends, and, strange as it may seem, this crew; you're people I feel I can trust. But I'm also doing this because I swore to destroy ZAFT, and this is one more way to further that goal."

"I see. Somehow, coming from the guy they used to call Crimson Tiger, that doesn't surprise me."

Blade frowned slightly. "That reminds me, Lieutenant. Just how did Atlantic Federation Intelligence get so much information about that identity?"

La Flaga shrugged. "An operative of theirs. Bit of an oddball; he acted like something out of an old spy novel. Name of-"

"Lieutenant Commander Alex Jackson," Kevin said darkly. "Codename: CARDINAL."

"You've heard of him?"

He snorted. "You didn't think I evaded Blue Cosmos solely on instinct, did you? We exchanged information for about a year, until his intel started getting unreliable and I severed communications. Now I'm glad of it."

Without further ado, he opened the locker room hatch. Inside, Kira was just fastening a blue-and-white flight suit, looking grimly determined.

"Well," La Flaga said, gliding in," if that outfit's any indication, I'd say you decided to do it."

"It's like you said Lieutenant," Kira said. "We're the only ones who can protect this ship. It's not that I want to fight; I only want to protect."

"It's the same for all of us." La Flaga smiled. "You won't find very many people who want to fight for no reason at all. We fight because it's the only way that we can protect ourselves."

The two were distracted by a sound of utter disgust from Kevin. When they turned, they saw that he was holding a flight suit in his hands... blood red, with black stripes. "Cute," he growled. "Whose idea was the tiger stripe look?"

La Flaga attempted to look innocent. "Who knows?"

* * *

Soon, the three pilots were in the hanger; Kevin peeled off and headed toward his GINN, to help Murdoch and his people get it ready. 

Kira followed the Hawk of Endymion to his Moebius Zero. "No matter what," La Flaga advised, "think only of protecting this ship and yourself."

"Right. Be careful, Lieutenant." He pushed off and was soon ensconced in the Strike's cockpit, feeling tense. He'd fought before, but only against GINNs, not these state-of-the-art "Gundams". And there was the possibility of facing Athrun again...

The Strike was moved into the catapult, and preparations for launch began as the Aile Striker pack was mounted. Then Kira's comm screen lit up. _"Kira!"_

He was startled. "Miriallia?" He'd known that his friends were volunteering, but this...

_"From this point on, I will be in charge of communications for the mobile suits and the mobile armor."_ She smiled._ "I'm counting on you!"_

_"We're all counting on you,"_ said another voice.

Kira smiled back. "Right." Soon, everything read green, and he tightened his grip on the controls. "Kira Yamato. Strike Gundam, heading out!"

The Strike flashed out from the catapult, heading straight into battle again... with an old friend.

* * *

Author's note: Chapter 2 up; as you may have guessed, I have quite a lot of this written up already. Updates should be rather frequent. 

Something I just realized I inadvertently omitted from the previous chapter's notes: this is a slight -and I mean slight- crossover with Bloody Roar; that's where the zoanthrope part comes in.

I realize there are places where it appears there ought to be an exclamation point with the question mark; but unfortunately, they keep getting deleted when I upload. If someone can tell me how to avoid that problem, I would be grateful.

Thanks for the reviews, though a few more wouldn't hurt. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Solid Shark


	3. Chapter 3: Soldier's Awakening

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Kevin Walker watched his friend leave the ship with a feeling of unease. Kira was going out to face all four stolen G-weapons simultaneously, without any assistance. In Kevin's mind, the only thing that could possibly allow Kira to survive would be the success of Mu La Flaga's sneak attack on the _Vesalius_. If that could be accomplished, the ZAFT forces would have no choice but to withdraw. 

The thought of just who was piloting the Aegis sent a chill through him, as well. For seven years, until escalating tensions between Earth and the PLANTs had forced them to separate, they had been good friends, nearly inseparable. Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, and Kevin Walker. Kevin had considered both of them close enough friends to confide in them his deepest secret, the one that not even his parents knew of: that he was a zoanthrope. Now, Athrun had joined the very organization that Blade was sworn to destroy, and he was not known for breaking his oaths. That made one of his best friends his mortal enemy, and he dearly hoped it could be avoided.

He shook off these thoughts and turned back to his mobile suit, the captured GINN that Murdoch and his people were busily modifying to accept energy weapons. Kevin had been mildly horrified to discover that the merry band of mechanically-inclined madmen had repainted the machine blood red, with black stripes: the same color as his flight suit, the same color that had made him famous as the Crimson Tiger. Murdoch, however, had cheerfully explained that keeping it in ZAFT colors ran too much of a risk of friendly fire, and besides, it was too late now; they'd fused the paint with the mobile suit's armor.

"Mechanics," Kevin muttered, and dove back into his work.

* * *

Two mobile suits inexorably closed on each other, launched from two different ships, with pilots of two different factions. Athrun Zala's Aegis came from the _Vesalius_, and Kira Yamato's Strike flew from the _Archangel_. They were both dreading the possibility of fighting each other. The both hoped it would not come to pass. 

But it seemed hopeless. "That's Kira!" Athrun said to himself in dismay, seeing the Strike appear on his display.

Likewise, Kira spotted the Aegis. "That mobile suit... It's Athrun!"

And beyond them all, in his carefully stealthed shuttle, the young man known only as Invictus watched them both. He had already noted that Hydra's GINN was not among the deployed forces, which meant his assigned mission was not a factor here... just as he had noticed the mobile armor that had left the so-called legged ship under the cover of the vessel's positron cannons.

Invictus considered passing the information on to his boss, but on further reflection, he erased the scan data. He and Le Creuset had a business arrangement, and to be sure, Invictus would not exist were it not for the commander. But they did not fully trust each other, and Invictus had never been in the habit of telling Le Creuset everything he knew. For example, he was honestly not surprised by Hydra's re-emergence; he had long ago picked up the super-soldier's trail, not long after Hydra departed the lab. Since then, Invictus had tracked him carefully, until he arrived at Heliopolis.

Now, however, with Hydra not involved in this battle, the hardened assassin was faced with a different quandary. He was not yet aware of who was piloting the Aegis, but he had already deduced the identity of the Strike's pilot, and he longed to contact him. But he knew that, whatever his memories might be, Kira Yamato was Hydra's friend, not his. Invictus was a mere copy, and though he might wish for it, he did not dare contact Kira, or even Hydra's oldest friend...

Aegis and Strike passed each other with only meters between them, and both deployed beam sabers. But neither struck.

Athrun immediately hailed his old friend. "Stop it! Please, put away your sword, Kira!" His face appeared on Kira's monitor. "_We are not enemies._ Am I right?"

"Athrun..." Kira winced.

"Why do we have to fight each other?" Athrun asked. "You're a Coordinator, just like us!"

"Believe me, the last thing I want to do is fight against you, but..."

Meanwhile, Yzak Joule had led the three G-weapons from the _Gamow_ to a point near the _Archangel._ "I'm gonna go back up Athrun," he told his fellow pilots. "Dearka, Nicol, you two take the legged ship."

"Roger that," Dearka Elsman acknowledged.

"Got it." Nicol Amalfi directed his GAT-X207 Blitz in the Buster's wake, angling to attack their primary objective.

Kira, seeing the threat to his friends, turned away from the Aegis. "The _Archangel_!" He kicked in the Strike's verniers, trying to aid them.

Athrun blocked his way, forcing him back. "Kira, enough! What do you think you're doing?"

"Athrun, please, get out of my way!" The Strike brandished its beam saber... though he wasn't inclined to use it if he could avoid it.

"What are you doing with the Earth Forces?" Athrun demanded. "Why are you siding with the Naturals? Tell me!"

"I am _not_ with the Earth Forces," Kira retorted, trying to get past. "But people I know are on that ship! They're all good friends of mine. And one of them is a friend of _yours_ too!" Before the Aegis' pilot could give voice to his surprise at the statement, Kira went on, "Besides, what are _you_ doing with ZAFT? Why'd you get involved in the war?" The Strike and Aegis twisted about in a virtual space ballet, a dance that would have been lethal had either of them been interested in anything but talk. "You used to tell me that you hated the whole idea of war, so why did you attack Heliopolis?"

"Because that's where the Naturals built these things," Athrun replied. "_They_ made it into a target, not us!"

"But Heliopolis was neutral, and so am I!" Kira said angrily. "And yet you still..."

He was interrupted by a beam blast that came out of nowhere, as the Duel made its appearance. "What the- X102 Duel? That's here, too?"

"You're not fighting, Athrun!" Yzak shouted. "Why not?"

"Yzak...?" Athrun boosted backwards as the Duel sliced into the battle, and he felt helpless for a moment. Much as he did not want to kill Kira, despite his promise to Le Creuset to convince or destroy him, it appeared Yzak Joule did not care in the slightest. Never known for keeping his temper, the white-haired young pilot was nearing a berserker rage.

Seemingly out of the blue, it occurred to Athrun to wonder how another of his old classmates would have reacted to Yzak. Kevin Walker (who was no doubt many thousands or even millions of kilometers away) had always shown a cool head under pressure, even during the few times he'd been attacked by bullies. Said bullies had stopped mysteriously after a short while, with rumors floating about that bad things happened to those who crossed Walker. Athrun happened to know the true story, so he figured Kevin would have been contemptuous (at best) of Yzak. But there was no way he could be anywhere near here.

Elsewhere in the region of space near the Artemis base, currently known as a battlefield, Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero streaked through the debris field, stalking the _Vesalius._ If he could just get close before they realized he was out there...

_It's payback time, Rau,_ La Flaga thought._ You beat me on Heliopolis; now I'll make you see what it's like to have your own ship shot up around you. _He was looking forward to the prospect... though he knew that it would be impossible to avoid Le Creuset's notice within a certain range...

* * *

In the _Archangel_'s hanger, Kevin labored tirelessly over his GINN, hurrying to get it combat-ready as fast as possible. The other mechanics working with him were in awe of the strength and dexterity he displayed, easily moving some equipment that would otherwise have required mechanical assistance to transport. The explanation, of course, was simple: for reasons that Kevin did not yet comprehend, his parents had engineered him to be even stronger than ordinary Coordinators, so even without his augmentation online, he was a very strong individual; something that was not evident in his lean frame. 

He was paying close attention to the reports coming in on the Bridge; with his computer skills, he had easily managed to create a patch between the Bridge intercom and the radio built into his head, the radio that had allowed him to advise Ramius of his intentions during the very encounter which netted him the GINN.

Because of this, Kevin was getting worried. He wasn't very concerned about his own safety (he was, in fact, unsure of what it took for him to die and stay dead, since even a fusion bomb hadn't sufficed), but Kira, from all reports, was hard-pressed by the stolen mobile suits, though the ship itself was in good shape, now that the Buster and Blitz had finally moved elsewhere... to attack Kira.

He stiffened for a moment, as he heard Bridge chatter. _"Enemy Nazca_-class_ has locked onto us,"_ Petty Officer Dalida Lolaha Chandra reported.

Badgiruel snarled wordlessly. _"Prepare to fire Lohengrins!"_ she ordered.

Ramius's voice was quickly audible. _"Hold on a minute! The Lieutenant's Zero is engaging! Evasive maneuvers!"_

_"Too risky,"_ the ensign shot back._ "Fire or draw fire."_

Kevin shook his head. _That's one cold-blooded woman. But then, who am I to talk?_

* * *

At nearly that very moment, Rau Le Creuset felt a familiar presence. "Boost engines!" he shouted to Ades. "Lower bow pitch angle sixty!" 

The Captain looked blank for a moment, until another member of the Bridge crew spoke. "Heat source detected below. It's a mobile armor!"

Ades reacted instantly. "Activate CIWS! Boost engines, lower bow pitch angle sixty!"

It was too late.

Mu La Flaga flew "up" at the _Vesalius,_ yelling a battle cry as he opened fire. His wired gunbarrels and low-slung linear gun wrought havoc and destruction, and to add insult to injury, the Hawk fired a piton and used the entire ship as a slingshot to hasten his return to the _Archangel._

Le Creuset gritted his teeth as damage reports came. _How could I possibly have fallen for that? They didn't fire their positron cannons because we spooked them, they fired to cover that bastard's approach!_

Yet the worst damage was yet to come.

* * *

Kira, meanwhile, was having difficulties of his own, for he was now surrounded. The Aegis still held its fire, but the Duel, Buster, and Blitz showed no such restraint. So far, he'd managed to evade their attacks... but he also hadn't managed to hit _them_ either. And his power was getting low. 

"They're retreating!" Chandra reported on the Bridge.

"Good." Ramius sighed in relief. "Now, warn Lieutenant La Flaga to get clear and fire the Lohengrins."

The crew moved quickly to comply, and the _Vesalius_ was soon blasted by the positron cannons, saved from destruction only by swift evasive maneuvers.

La Flaga, seeing the huge beams, whistled. "Whoa."

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Ramius glanced down into CIC. "Signal the Strike to return at once."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Mir responded. A moment later, however, she looked up. "Captain, he can't! He's surrounded!"

"Give him covering fire," the Captain ordered.

"It's impossible in that melee," Badgiruel countered. "We can't get precise targeting data."

Ramius gritted her teeth, then hit her intercom. "Blade, the Strike is in trouble! Your GINN?"

Kevin glanced off-screen for a moment, then nodded. _"Just give the word, Captain."_

"The word is given. Launch at once!"

"Roger, wilco."

In the hanger, Kevin Walker climbed into the cockpit of his mobile suit, glad to finally be doing something. _All right, you ZAFT bastards. You're trying to hurt my friend, and in my book there's only one acceptable penalty: death._

Murdoch and his people began moving the GINN to the catapult, and Kevin flipped down his inner visor. His flight suit had two: an inner, transparent layer, and an opaque outer faceplate. He preferred to remain anonymous, but sometimes face-to-face was necessary, and he didn't want to expose himself to the risk of breathing vacuum.

_"Connected to catapult,"_ Mir said over the radio._ "Ready, Kevin?"_

"I think so." He'd never flown a mobile suit in combat before, but more memories had returned, of simulator runs during his ZAFT days. He could do it. "But first, I need a rundown on the G-weapons' capabilities. I know it's classified, but _they_ already know anyway. So is there anything special I need to worry about?"

Sai's face appeared. _"The Aegis is lightly armed, with just Igelstellungs, beam sabers, and a beam rifle, but watch out for its mobile armor mode. In that form, it has a 580 millimeter hyper-impulse cannon. The Buster has a beam rifle, gun launcher, and missile launchers; the rifles can be combined to form a hyper-impulse sniper rifle or an anti-armor shotgun. The Duel is pretty basic, with just a beam rifle, beam sabers, and Igelstellungs, but the Blitz may give you fits. In addition to kinetic penetrator darts, beam rifle, beam saber, and Gleipnir grappler, it's equipped with Mirage Colloid, which-"_

"I know what Mirage Colloid is," Kevin interrupted. "Means he can turn invisible. Okay, GINN launching."

The familiar G-forces pressed him back into his seat as the linear catapult hurled his tiger-striped GINN out into space.

* * *

Kira was getting desperate as he fought the ZAFT machines. His power was getting low, and he hadn't so much as scorched any of his opponents. 

He gasped, dismayed as his energy gauge ran down to zero. "No!"

"I've gotcha now!" Yzak shouted triumphantly, his Duel rushing toward the Strike with both beam sabers extended. Another few seconds, and his target would be gone.

Athrun also saw the threat, and his eyes widened in horror. _Kira!_ Almost without conscious thought, he switched the Aegis to its mobile armor mode and put all discretionary power into verniers.

Aegis and Duel both rushed the Strike, both trying to reach it... and one did.

Kira grunted as his mobile suit shuddered, and he prepared himself for oblivion... only to realize he was still alive. "What the...?"

The Aegis had clamped its claws around the powerless Strike, entrapping it, and Athrun's fellow pilots started ranting at him. "What are you doing, Athrun?" Yzak demanded in rage.

"I'm capturing this machine!"

"We were told to destroy it!" Dearka shouted. "You're disobeying orders!"

"If we can take it, then all the better!" Athrun retorted. "Now let's go!"

Kira twisted in his seat. "Just what are you up to, Athrun?"

"I'm taking you to the _Gamow,_" Athrun told him. "Just come quietly."

"Get serious!" He rested his hand on the Strike's self-destruct panel. "I'm not setting foot on any ZAFT ship!"

"Stop it, Kira. You're a Coordinator, just like us!"

"No! I won't join ZAFT!"

"That's _enough_, Kira!" Athrun's voice was edged with anger. "Just shut up and come with me. Or else..." He swallowed. "Or else I'll have no choice but to shoot you."

"Do that, and I will cut you in half."

Both pilots glanced around, wondering who was speaking. "Who are you?" Athrun demanded, spying the striped GINN. "How did you get that machine?"

"You know who I am," the GINN's pilot replied softly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me." His image appeared on the Aegis's comm screen, a pilot in red-and-black, with a black faceplate. "I thought we were closer than that, 'old friend'."

The voice seemed familiar, but Athrun still couldn't place it. "What are you talking about?"

"Some people know me as the Crimson Tiger," the pilot answered obliquely. "Tell me, Athrun, how many tigers have you known? Tigers with blood-red fur, striped with black?" He raised his outer visor. "It's me, mon ami."

Athrun jerked in shock. "_Kevin?_ What are you- how-"

"I'm here because you bastards attacked Heliopolis!" Kevin shook his head. "I'd hoped Kira was wrong about your involvement, but I guess that was too much to ask. You betrayed me, Athrun. You stabbed me in the back by joining ZAFT."

"What are you talking about? You're from Orb; what could ZAFT have done that you hate?"

"If the letters 'Alpha Bravo Alpha Delta Delta Oscar November' mean anything to you," Blade said savagely, "you bloody well know why I hate ZAFT! You'll bloody well know why I'm sworn to destroy them!"

Athrun frowned, confused, until he realized the words were letters in the phonetic alphabet, used by militaries for centuries. "'A B A D D O N'? What's that supposed to mean? And what are you doing out here in one of our machines?"

"So you haven't heard of it," Kevin murmured. "Well, Athrun, that's the only reason I'm willing to give you even a _chance_ of survival. Maybe someday you'll understand. As to your question, I decided I had more need of this thing than its original pilot, so I buried a knife in his throat. That answer your question?"

Their argument was interrupted by the Buster's sudden appearance, attempting to blast the stolen GINN into oblivion. "Take this!"

Blade, for all his lack of mobile suit battle experience, still knew full well what he was doing, and easily dodged the blow. In return, he drew a beam saber from an improvised hardpoint on his shoulder, and slashed at the enemy machine. "Well, well. Is that Dearka Elsman's voice I hear? It's been a while."

Now Dearka, too, backed off slightly; the GINN's pilot had succeeded in confusing him, as well.

And this gave the _Archangel_ time to make its own preparations.

* * *

"Message from Lieutenant La Flaga," Tonomura called. "He says 'Prepare to deploy Launcher Striker pack with the... catapult'?" 

In his Moebius Zero, La Flaga looked grimly determined. "I hope you get it in time, kid."

Ramius thought quickly. "Signal Blade. Tell him to buy us time!"

Kevin received the transmission and nodded to himself; he had no real idea what the ship was up to, despite knowing its capabilities far better than anyone suspected, but he knew _precisely_ how to keep people busy.

The battle was effectively a stalemate, for the moment; Athrun didn't want to fight Kira at all, and the stolen GINN had successfully confused everyone involved with its mere presence. Dearka, for his part, thought he recognized the voice of the pilot, but he couldn't place it; and he was also reevaluating his tactics in light of the fact that it was a ZAFT design he was now facing.

Yzak Joule, on the other hand, simply had the problem of too many machines being between him and his target.

"Kevin, what's going on?" Athrun demanded. "You're no soldier-"

"Oh, yes I am," his old friend contradicted. "I wasn't when we parted, but a great many things have occurred in the last three years, very few of them good." He spun around, parried a slash from the Duel, and swept toward the Aegis again.

"I don't understand."

"Then understand _this_, mon ami," Kevin snarled. "Retreat, or I'll kill you."

"But-" Athrun broke off as another machine slashed its way into the fight. Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero, gunbarrels spiraling, spat fire at the Aegis, forcing him to release his grip on the Strike.

"Lieutenant La Flaga?" Kira kicked in his verniers, feeling rather relieved at the older pilot's intervention.

"Get clear, kid!" La Flaga ordered. "The _Archangel_'s sending out the Launcher Striker pack. Go get it!"

"Roger that." Boosting away from the battle, he glanced back at the striped GINN. "Blade?"

"Be right there, tovarisch." Kevin hovered for a moment before the Aegis. "Remember this, Athrun: I don't want to kill you, but as long as you are with ZAFT, there is a distinct possibly that I will have to."

Athrun watched helplessly as his former friend turned and jetted away, heading back to his ship. _What in the world was that all about? What happened to you, Kevin?_

Before long, the Strike was nearing the proper vector to receive the Striker pack, and the _Archangel_ hurried to finish preparations. "Mr. Murdoch," Ramius called from the Bridge. "Is the catapult ready?"

_"Ready as it'll ever be,"_ the mechanic answered._ "But this absolutely crazy."_

"Yes, I know it's crazy, but it's also the only chance we have. Ensign Badgiruel!" she called, looking down into CIC. "I'll leave the timing to you."

"Yes, Ma'am." Badgiruel looked over at Mir. "Transfer control of the catapult to the Launcher Striker's computer."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"The Strike is in position," Tonomura reported a moment later.

"Activate the catapult!"

Kira watched his displays as the Launcher Striker pack approached, and he cursed as he saw the Duel rapidly overtaking him. There was no help for it now, though. His only chance lay in obtaining that Striker pack... before the Duel could blast him into cinders.

"I've gotcha now!" Yzak shouted.

"Locked onto me?" The Strike was midway through the exchange, with no chance to dodge. "Come on, come on..."

The Striker pack connected... just as Yzak fired a grenade. Three other pilots and the crew of an entire ship watched in horror as the explosive detonated, obscuring the area with its blast front.

"Did I get him?" the Duel's pilot wondered... and got his answer when a hyper-impulse blast drilled out through the explosion and melted his right arm off. "What the-?"

Kira yelled wordlessly as he shot out of the blast area, firing his hyper-impulse cannon. In the process, he managed to graze the Buster, which pulled back and took the Duel with it.

"Yzak!" Athrun called. "We need to pull back! It's too dangerous to pursue them any farther."

"I have to agree with Athrun," Nicol said quietly. "If we keep this up, it'll be _our_ turn to run out of power."

"No! _No!"_ Yzak slammed his fist into his display, enraged beyond words.

The Strike, stolen GINN, and Moebius Zero returned to their mother ship... and elsewhere, a stealthed ship quietly made its departure, heading back to its own mothership.

* * *

In the _Archangel_'s hanger, La Flaga pulled himself out of his cockpit and drifted over to the Strike, wondering what the commotion was as mechanics shouted at it. "What's the problem?" he asked Murdoch. 

"Well, sir, the kid refuses to come out of there," the mechanic said with a shrug.

"I see." The pilot pulled himself over to the external hatch controls. "Hey! What you doing? Get out! Kira Yamato!"

He broke off, seeing the interior of the cockpit. Kira was still strapped in, breathing heavily, hands locked on the controls. "Hey, relax," La Flaga said more gently, entering and prying loose the younger pilot's death grip. "The battle's over, and we're all still in one piece." He smiled. "You did good, kid."

"Lieutenant..." Kira managed, allowing himself to be guided out.

Nearby, Kevin exited his GINN, his face a mask. _Athrun... I'd hoped Kira was wrong, but I guess not. Do you even understand what you've done? Do you know how you've betrayed me? Do you realize that this means I have to kill you?_

He did not know the answers.

* * *

On the _Gamow_, Invictus wandered into the pilot's locker room to find Yzak practically strangling Athrun, shouting in his face at the same time. "Hey, break it up." He hauled the white-haired pilot away as if he massed about as much as a feather. "Will screaming at him really do any good?" 

"Shut up, assassin! I'm gonna-"

"Stuff it, Joule," Invictus said wearily. "And don't bother threatening me; I couldn't care less that your mother's on the Supreme Council." He turned to the blue-haired pilot Yzak had been attacking. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Athrun recovered and left the room, leaving the assassin frozen for an instant.

He followed the pilot out, trying to get a better look at his face (without seeming too obvious, preferably; he _did_ have a reputation to maintain).

When he succeeded, Invictus froze again. _"Athrun?"_

Athrun paused. "Do I know you?"

The armored man shook his head. "No, of course not."

They went their separate ways, Athrun quickly forgetting the strange encounter, Invictus wondering what in the world "his" old friend was doing here.

* * *

The battle with the ZAFT ships and stolen G-weapons had brought the _Archangel_ very close to Artemis; now the ship waited just beyond the Umbrella shield while the officers conferred with the fortress' people. 

While that was going on, La Flaga caught up to Kira just as the latter was leaving the hanger, and put an arm around the younger pilot's shoulders. "There's something I forgot to mention before," he said quietly.

"Uh, yeah?"

"Put a lock on the Strike's activation system; make sure no one can operate that machine but you." The Hawk of Endymion sounded somewhat grim.

"Let me guess, Lieutenant," Kevin said, appearing seemingly out of thin air (a habit for which he would soon become well-known aboard ship, and one which would eventually leave Mu La Flaga a nervous wreck). "You don't trust Eurasians either."

"Frankly, no," La Flaga admitted. "I take it you have some reason to dislike them, Blade?"

"Something like that." Blade shrugged. "Let's just say it involves a stolen Eurasian shuttle, about a squadron's worth of pirates, some wild flying through the Debris Belt, and a very hard landing. I don't trust their technology, I don't trust their people, and if they figure out who I am -or used to be- they may become unhappy."

"I see."

On the Bridge, Ramius watched as the Umbrella finally opened, allowing her tired ship to enter its refuge. "Thank you for allowing us in," she said to the Eurasian officer on the com screen. "We appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Captain. We will, of course, be sending over inspectors, just to be sure you really are who you say you are." The officer shrugged. "Standard procedure, of course."

"Of course. That's fine." Ramius sighed in relief. They had finally reached a friendly port; soon, with luck, they would be properly supplied and on their way to the Atlantic Federation Headquarters at Ptolemaeus Crater, on the Moon.

Of course, the only luck that ever seemed to be associated with the _Archangel_ was of the bad variety.

* * *

Kevin Walker stood in an unused compartment on the _Archangel_ as the ship entered port at Artemis. He had a bad feeling about things, and he tended to trust his instincts. It had kept him alive on a number of occasions. 

Said instincts began to scream at him when he caught sight of the "inspection party" that was coming toward the ship, for every one of them carried an assault rifle. _This is no inspection,_ he realized. _They have a pretty good idea of what we are, and they want it for themselves, don't they?_ It was not inconceivable; even during time of war, the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations tended to act at cross purposes. It would not be at all surprising if Artemis decided they wanted the _Archangel_ and the Strike for their own ends. _And if they had any inkling of what _I_ am, they'd probably try for me, too. They'd die, of course, but still..._

He turned and headed for the cafeteria, where his friends no doubt were already.

On the Bridge, a Eurasian officer had joined them, watching silently as his boarding party arrived. It was then that Ramius herself began to realize what was going on. "Lieutenant Commander Biddaulph! What's going on?" she demanded, seeing the weapons the boarders carried.

"Captain," the man said, sounding almost bored, "I must advise you: remain silent."

_What do they think they're doing?_ she thought furiously._ The Archangel is an Earth Forces vessel belonging to the Atlantic Federation, and they obviously know that. So why...?_

"You'd better have a good explanation for this," La Flaga muttered. He didn't like the looks of things, either.

* * *

It wasn't long before a pair of guards had been set outside the cafeteria, keeping the civilians, mechanics, and volunteers penned up. No one had the slightest idea what was going on except for Kevin, who, unbeknownst to anyone else in the room, was still armed. If he had to, he could fight his way out with ease. 

The hatch soon slid open, and Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia, Artemis' commander, his aide, and the two guards entered. "I believe the pilot of the mobile suit known as the Strike is here," Garcia said without preamble. "Who is it?"

Kira stirred, but Kojiro Murdoch put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in his seat. "Lieutenant La Flaga was piloting it," the mechanic said. "Talk to him."

"A nice try, but our instruments say that the Moebius Zero was involved in the fighting," the admiral contradicted with a smile. "Since the Hawk of Endymion is the only one who can use the wired gunbarrels, it was obviously someone else." He stepped farther into the room, and his eyes moved to Mir. "Of course," Garcia murmured. "Who would expect a girl like you to be the pilot? An interesting ploy, indeed. Come with me," he commanded, voice no longer conversational.

Kira shot to his feet, ignoring Murdoch's groan. "Leave her alone! _I'm_ the pilot!"

All eyes turned to him, and Garcia smiled again. "Oh, really? I admire your devotion in protecting the girl, but that machine wasn't meant for someone like you. Get serious, punk!" He threw a punch.

The Coordinator saw it coming, stepped swiftly to the side, and grabbed the fist. With a deft movement and strength that was belied by his size, he flung the admiral to the deck. "I haven't done anything to justify you getting angry and hitting me!"

Garcia's aide also reacted, fist lashing out at Kira... only to have it suddenly stop, a black-gloved hand clamped on it. Kevin had come to his feet, and his deceptively powerful muscles held the Eurasian's arm like a vise. "Don't do that," he said conversationally. "Don't ever try to hurt my friends."

"Let him go," Garcia ordered, getting to his feet. "Now, you stupid punk."

"I don't think so." He smiled thinly. "You don't give me orders, Admiral. And you can't possibly stop me."

"You'd better believe him!" Flay said, sticking her nose in. "Kira _is_ the pilot, and Kevin's the Crimson Tiger! They're Coordinators!"

"Shut up! No!" Kevin gritted his teeth. "That was a bad move, Flay," he muttered, hand still locked on the Eurasian aide's arm.

"Well, well, well..." Garcia said slowly. "You could indeed be of use to us. A pair of Coordinators, one of whom the man who has caused Blue Cosmos more trouble than any other... Yes, we'll have a great deal of use for you."

"If you think you can manipulate me," Kevin said coldly, "the next thing to go through your mind will be a bullet."

"Not if you have the proper incentive." The admiral gestured, and the guards leveled their weapons at Flay. "Do we understand each other?"

Something inside Kevin snapped, and mental commands flashed out through his body. With almost audible clicks, snaps, and grinding sounds, long-dormant machinery came to life, spinning back up to full capacity. Senses heightened, nano-repair functions went live, computers reactivated... and muscular enhancements shot up to full power.

Garcia's aide screamed as the hand on his arm tightened its grip tenfold, crushing the arm bone to powder. "Oh, we understand each other, Admiral," the Blade said, voice like frozen helium. "We understand each other _perfectly!"_

His next move was a chop to the aide's other arm, snapping it, followed by a roundhouse kick that snapped his neck. Continuing the motion, Blade pulled out both Colt revolvers and shot the guards in a fraction of a second.

Everyone in the room, including Kira, stood openmouthed as the supposed student moved so fast he was but a black blur. In less than a second, the aide had been crippled and killed, and both guards shot dead. Even his best friend had never seen Kevin move so fast.

"What... on earth...?" Garcia managed.

"Don't try to hurt my friends, Garcia," Kevin said harshly. "You're all dead men, you know that? Before I leave this fortress, you will be dead."

"Is that a threat?" the admiral asked, trying to look in control of the situation and failing.

"No. It's a promise." Blade glared, eyes frozen jade. "You hurt me, and I'll kill you. You hurt my friends, and I'll kill _all_ of you. And before this day is done, this fortress will need a new CO. Bet on it."

He vanished out the hatch, leaving confusion in his wake.

Garcia straightened, barely glancing at the corpses on the deck. "What does he think he can accomplish? He's just one man. My troops will have him dead within minutes."

Murdoch laughed. "Hope your life insurance is current, Admiral."

"What do you mean?" the admiral demanded.

"He means that the most dangerous human being you're ever likely to meet is loose on your station, Admiral," Neumann said with cold satisfaction. "He means that the teenager who successfully captured a GINN while in motion has decided he doesn't like you."

"You'll be lucky if you get out of this alive," Tonomura agreed. "Actually, it'd take a miracle."

Garcia practically gnashed his teeth in anger. "Come with me," he ordered Kira, and a new guard took charge of the young pilot, herding him out. Meanwhile, the admiral pulled out a radio. "Artemis, this is the Admiral. If you see a teenager in a blue uniform wandering around, kill him on sight. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

He glanced back at the assembled prisoners. "Let's see how he does with more than a hundred soldiers hunting him."

As he left, Murdoch looked confidently at the remaining volunteers, who were nervous about their friends. "Don't worry, kids," he said with a chuckle. "Garcia's just declared open season on Blade... and that means he's gonna have a lot of bodies bury by the time all this is over. The admiral's an idiot."

The students accepted that with a certain amount of relief, though for Flay it was mixed with a trace of fear. The thought of the Crimson Tiger on the loose, even if he was supposedly very loyal to his friends, was not exactly comforting.

* * *

Blade was less than impressed with Garcia's guards; by this time, he'd already been through the _Archangel_'s hanger and was now in Artemis itself, with nary a trooper in sight. 

His detour to the hanger had given him an additional reason to search Artemis: Garcia's people had offloaded his GINN, apparently with the intention of studying it and perhaps using it for themselves. Since he had personally captured the machine, and had _not_ given it to the Earth Forces, Blade was determined to retrieve it.

But first, he had another mission. Now that he knew Alex Jackson had been playing both sides, he had a burning desire to find out what _else_ the intel officer had been up to. The nearest source of information, Blade figured, was the Artemis mainframe.

To be sure, first he had to _get_ to the computer room, but he had no doubts about his abilities. He'd fought off more than a hundred terrorists and vehicles up to and including battle tanks and mobile suits; if there was something on Artemis he couldn't handle, it would be quite surprising.

Before long, Blade reached his destination, where he found and cold-cocked a singly guard. He was not being merciful, but rather practical: even he could miss, however unlikely it might be, and a stray bullet could easily destroy the data he was here for.

He quickly seated himself at the keyboard and rapidly began typing. QUERY: CURRENT LOCATION JACKSON, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ALEX.

The response appeared within seconds. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ALEX JACKSON CURRENT STATUS: MIA.

That was not what Blade expected, and it made him suspicious. PERSONNEL FILE JACKSON, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ALEX.

The file made for fascinating reading... not to mention infuriating. Within moments, Blade was out of the room, rage in his heart, seeking Admiral Gerard Garcia.

* * *

While Kevin Walker was about his private little war, something else was lurking outside Artemis. X207 Blitz was approaching under Mirage Colloid, carrying out Nicol Amalfi's plan. His fellow pilots thought it cowardice, but they had agreed when Nicol suggested using his Blitz's cloaking abilities to get close to Artemis and blast the shield emitters to scrap, which would allow the Duel and Buster to join in the attack. 

Nearing the fortress, Nicol nodded in satisfaction. His targeting computer had just located the emitters. "There it is." Still invisible, he opened fire.

In the _Archangel_'s hanger, Garcia glanced away from the Strike, where Kira was, under armed guard, removing the lock on the activation system. "What was that?" He lifted his radio. "Control room! Report on the cause of these tremors!"

"There's nothing within the perimeter, sir!"

Garcia glanced at one of his men in annoyance. "Well, I'm guessing they're explosions!"

Kira took note of the commotion, and, seeing his guard looking the other way, kicked him, sending the Eurasian flying out of the cockpit. Without wasting a moment, he closed the Strike's cockpit, and began moving off toward the catapult.

"You traitor!" Garcia shouted at him, helpless to stop the Coordinator.

"We're under attack, aren't we? I don't have time for your nonsense."

The admiral, cursing, headed back to his fortress' control room, and the Strike proceeded into the catapult, where Kira began inputting commands. Shortly, the Sword Striker pack was attached, and he prepared to launch.

In the _Archangel_'s cafeteria, the pent-up crew members advanced on their guards. "What's with the alarm?" Neumann demanded,

"Well, it's probably-"

"_You're_ not even sure?" Tonomura said contemptuously.

"Then don't you think you should go and ask?" Neumann concurred. "Whatever you may think, we're obviously under attack." He sprang past the surprised guards, who swung around to fire... only to be tackled by Tonomura, Chandra, Sai, and Tolle.

"I'm sorry, but you've given us no choice," Chandra told the men.

* * *

By this time, Blade was on his way back to the inner spaces of Artemis, near the enormous harbor. Along the way, he paused, hearing shouting coming from a room guarded by two ubiquitous Eurasian guards. _Odd. That sounds like the officers._

Without pausing, he drew his revolvers and shot both men in the heart, killing them instantly, and then shot the lock. "You know, mon Capitan," he said dryly, opening the door, "you don't need to shout; I can hear you just fine."

Ramius, La Flaga, and Badgiruel, who had been locked in the room since their own initial meeting with Garcia, looked at the young soldier in surprise. "Blade!"

"What took you so long?" La Flaga commented.

"I was busy," Blade said curtly. "Artemis is under attack; from all indications, I'd say it's the Blitz."

"Then we'd better get back to the _Archangel_," Ramius said decisively. "Blade?"

He shook his head. "My GINN is still around here somewhere, and I've got... personal business to settle. I'll be right back."

Badgiruel's eyes narrowed. "You'd better be, because we aren't waiting around for you."

"Yeah, whatever. Just go." Without another word, Blade propelled himself further into the base and out of sight.

"Garcia?" Ramius asked La Flaga as they hurried to the _Archangel_.

The pilot nodded. "Probably. I'm not sure we want to know what happens next." He had a good idea, though he didn't want to know for sure... and didn't realize he wasn't quite correct.

* * *

In Artemis' control room, Garcia was snarling at his men. "Hurry and deploy our ships! Three mobile suits can't destroy the whole Artemis base!" 

To his complete surprise, another, blue-clad shape was suddenly in the room. Claws sprouted from his hands, and he tore into the Eurasian troops, killing them in a blindingly fast frenzy of death. Before he could even begin to make sense of the occurrence, Blade's left-hand claws were at his throat, and his right-hand Colt was aimed precisely at the bridge of his nose. "Hello, Admiral. We meet again."

Garcia's eyes widened, and he sprouted sweat instantly. "Wh-what is this?"

"I've got some questions for you, Admiral," he said coolly. "And you _will_ answer them."

"Or?"

"Or I'll kill you." Blade was momentarily interrupted when a guard, having barely survived the initial attack, managed to raise his rifle and fire a burst at the young man's back. To Garcia's astonishment, however, the bullets never reached him; instead, they flew off in all directions, deflected before reaching Blade's flesh.

His reaction was nonchalant: he briefly switched his aim to a point over his shoulder, fired, and allowed the ricochet to do his work while he returned his attention to the admiral. "I won't allow that again. Now, Admiral, I have a very simple question: Where is Lieutenant Commander Alex Jackson?"

"He's- he's MIA, probably dead," Garcia began.

"You're lying. Tell me the truth, or I'll shoot you." Blade's tone didn't change.

"You... you won't kill me if I tell you?"

"I won't. Answer the question."

"He's in Banadiya," Garcia said rapidly. "A town in ZAFT-occupied territory-"

"In the African Community, yes. Thank you, Admiral." He slid his gun back into its holster, then extended his claws again and wiped the blood off on the admiral's uniform.

Garcia's eyes widened in recognition. "You're one of-"

"Yes." In a flash, Blade's gun was out again, and he put a bullet right into Garcia's heart. In the four seconds of life left to the treacherous Eurasian, the soldier spoke quite unflinchingly. "You know too much, Admiral. See you in the next life."

Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia's life ended, and Blade left the room... just in time to avoid a crashing Moebius mobile armor, which blew the control room to pieces.

* * *

On the _Archangel_, Ramius, La Flaga, and Badgiruel were just reaching the Bridge. "Captain!" Pal called, relieved. 

While Ramius settled into the captain's chair, La Flaga took a detour into CIC. "Great work, kids!" he said with a grin, ruffling Mir and Sai's hair.

"What's up with this fortress, anyway?" Sai wondered aloud.

"I think we should find out." The Hawk glanced up at Kuzzey, at communications. "Anything from Artemis?"

"I just pulled some surveillance footage, sir," Kuzzey replied. "It's encrypted, but I think we can crack it, given time."

"Get the computers working on it," La Flaga ordered. "It might be useful at the board of inquiry." That one would be convened when the _Archangel_ reached Earth Forces territory he did not doubt.

"We're a sitting duck if we stay here," Ramius mused. "Signal the Strike," she ordered Mir. "Launch _Archangel_!"

The state-of-the-art carrier began to move, and Kira, then occupied with the Blitz, heard Mir's call. _"Kira, come back! Kira, come back! The _Archangel_ is launching!"_

_Not good,_ he thought._ I've still got this guy..._

"Kira," Kevin said, striped GINN appearing from the blast zone of an exploding ship, "get going. I'll hold them off."

"But-" Kira broke off; his friend, however reckless he occasionally seemed, clearly knew what he was doing. "Roger that."

Nicol saw the Strike retreat. "Are you running away, coward?"

"Not to worry," Kevin said coldly; there was not a trace of good humor in his expression. "I'll play."

Dearka's Buster chose that moment to enter the fray, backed up by Yzak's Duel. "Okay, pal," he snarled, "I wanna know one thing: who are you?" He remembered the voice that had identified him in their last encounter, and it seemed familiar.

"Hello, Elsman. It's me, Kevin Walker." Kevin selected a visual channel and opened his outer visor. "Remember our last meeting?"

"Hard not to, you bastard!" Dearka Elsman remembered _quite_ well what had happened in their first encounter. "I'll get you for that!" He opened fire with both beam rifle and gun launcher.

Yzak, watching the stolen machine desperately evading the fire coming its way, lifted an eyebrow. "You know this guy, Dearka?"

"You bet I do! This bastard tossed me _through_ a wall a couple years ago!" The Buster's pilot was practically vibrating with remembered rage. "It took me _two weeks_ to recover from that!"

"So sorry," Kevin said sarcastically. "You weren't supposed to survive it at all. How about I fix that?"

"I don't think so!" And Dearka's next shot caught the captured GINN right in the chest, nearly blowing the cockpit away.

"Oh, not good." Blade, unlike others (now dead) of his acquaintance, knew when to cut his losses. Noticing that his machine had just taken a very nasty hit, he turned tail and put every erg of discretionary power into verniers, hurrying to rendezvous with his mothership. "Another time, Elsman."

The Duel, Buster, and Blitz were unable to catch up with their fleeing targets; they took out their frustration by blowing Artemis completely to scrap, as the so-called "legged ship" made its escape.

* * *

Sometime later, after the Strike and Kevin's GINN had safely returned to the ship, the Strike's cockpit opened and Kira pulled himself out, then pushed off for the hatch. 

La Flaga was waiting. "Hey, kid," he said with a smile, hand raised... only to lower it when the Coordinator wordlessly brushed past. "What's eating him?" he wondered aloud to Murdoch, after Kira had left.

"For that matter," the mechanic mused as Kevin likewise left with a strange expression on his face, "what's eating _him_?"

"He wasn't like that when he busted us out," La Flaga murmured. "Did he do something he's regretting?"

_"Bridge to Lieutenant La Flaga,"_ Kuzzey suddenly said from an intercom panel. _"Sir, the computer's deciphered the encryption on the surveillance footage."_

"Put it on the monitor down here," the pilot ordered; behind him, Murdoch had wandered off to examine the damage to the GINN, muttering to himself all the while.

La Flaga watched curiously as the images of the last moments in Artemis' control room played. Then curiosity turned to shock at the events that unfolded. "What on _earth?"_

* * *

Author's note: All right, some of Kevin Walker's dark history is emerging; more to come in later chapters. 

Daniel Lynx, you are largely correct. While I draw slightly upon the Bloody Roar series for this, Kevin _is_ largely inspired by Solid Snake. As a matter of fact, you'll find Metal Gear quotes scattered liberally throughout all my work, this story in particular. "Snake eater", however, is not in fact a reference to Metal Gear; if memory serves, the term was originally used in the Vietnam War to refer to particularly-successful snipers. Since then, it's become a catch-all phrase for special ops soldiers.

As to your ideas, I will say this: neither Mu La Flaga nor Flay Allster will be killed (La Flaga's death in particular irritated me immensely). However, Flay won't be rescued at Alaska. I have something _far_ more ambitious in mind, which will result in the survival of both La Flaga and Flay… among others. I think you'll approve.

Bigronnie17, I believe I covered your first point above; and the color is depicted within the chapter. As to weaponry, it starts out with spare weapons for the Strike, and is retrofitted as of Chapter 7. I didn't expend too much creative effort on it, though, because Kevin upgrades to a better machine later in the story -you may recognize it.

I think that covers everything; read it and let me know what you think. Solid Shark


	4. Chapter 4: Specter of Tragedy

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

The _Archangel_ had made good its escape from Artemis, with hull and mobile suits intact (mostly, anyway, in the case of the stolen GINN). 

But two members of the crew were ill at ease: Kevin Walker, now that his darker side had reawakened, and Mu La Flaga, who had seen something astonishing and disturbing in the footage they had gleaned from Artemis' surveillance systems.

And so it was that he entered Ramius' office a day after escaping the fortress. "You wanted to see me in private, Lieutenant?" the Captain said.

"Yeah." La Flaga leaned against a wall. "It's about that kid, Blade."

"What about him? I thought we'd settled the matter to everyone's satisfaction. Well," she corrected herself with a grimace, "everyone but Ensign Badgiruel."

"Have you seen the footage from Artemis' security cameras?"

"No, not yet. Why?"

The pilot walked over to the desk, switched on the computer there, and began punching in commands. "Watch."

Ramius did, expression puzzled, as the footage began.

In Artemis' control room, Garcia was snarling at his men. "Hurry and deploy our ships! Three mobile suits can't destroy the whole Artemis base!"

To his complete surprise, another, blue-clad shape was suddenly in the room. Claws sprouted from his hands, and he tore into the Eurasian troops, killing them in a blindingly fast frenzy of death. Before he could even begin to make sense of the occurrence, Blade's left-hand claws were at his throat, and his right-hand Colt was aimed precisely at the bridge of his nose. "Hello, Admiral. We meet again."

Garcia's eyes widened, and he sprouted sweat instantly. "Wh-what is this?"

"I've got some questions for you, Admiral," he said coolly. "And you will answer them."

"Or?"

"Or I'll kill you." Blade was momentarily interrupted when a guard, having barely survived the initial attack, managed to raise his rifle and fire a burst at the young man's back. To Garcia's astonishment, however, the bullets never reached him; instead, they flew off in all directions, deflected before reaching Blade's flesh.

His reaction was nonchalant: he briefly switched his aim to a point over his shoulder, fired, and allowed the ricochet to do his work while he returned his attention to the admiral. "I won't allow that again. Now, Admiral, I have a very simple question: Where is Lieutenant Commander Alex Jackson?"

"He's- he's MIA, probably dead," Garcia began.

"You're lying. Tell me the truth, or I'll shoot you." Blade's tone didn't change.

"You... you won't kill me if I tell you?"

"I won't. Answer the question."

"He's in Banadiya," Garcia said rapidly. "A town in ZAFT-occupied territory-"

"In the African Community, yes. Thank you, Admiral." He slid his gun back into its holster, then extended his claws again and wiped the blood off on the admiral's uniform.

Garcia's eyes widened in recognition. "You're one of-"

"Yes." In a flash, Blade's gun was out again, and he put a bullet right into Garcia's heart. In the four seconds of life left to the treacherous Eurasian, the soldier spoke quite unflinchingly. "You know too much, Admiral. See you in the next life."

Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia's life ended, and Blade left the room... just in time to avoid a crashing Moebius mobile armor, which blew the control room to pieces.

Ramius looked up at La Flaga in surprise. "What on earth...?"

He chuckled. "That's what I said. Take a look; on the surface, it seems like he just killed Garcia out of spite; he's admitted to being prone to vengeance, and this was pretty much what I expected when he headed off into the base after busting us out. But you saw what happened: the kid sprouted _claws_ from his hands, ignored a bullet that _ought_ to have caught him right in the spine, then told Garcia he 'knew too much' and killed him. That's not the Blade we met when he came aboard, Captain."

"Conclusions?" She herself couldn't make sense of what she'd just seen.

"That kid is _not_ human. Not like the rest of us," La Flaga said flatly. "He _looks_ like a sixteen-year-old kid, but ordinary humans don't have claws in their hands, and ordinary teenagers aren't that lethal. Also, he's a walking magnetic anomaly; earlier, I experimented by leaving a compass near him, and it went nuts when he went by. Add to that the fact that his mass is greater than anyone else on the ship, despite his lean frame, and you've got something very unusual on the ship."

"I see..." Ramius, eyes wide, pondered the matter. She'd known from the very start that there was something _highly_ unusual about their young ally; she'd seen him jump across the whole Morgenroete factory floor while firing a handgun with pinpoint accuracy, climb aboard a moving GINN and take over, killing the pilot in the process, and she'd since seen the camera footage of the cafeteria when he began his rampage. "Do you suggest we call him in and interrogate him?"

La Flaga shook his head. "No point; I very much doubt we'd get anything from him. Besides, even after all this I'm somehow convinced he's on our side. What _does_ worry me, though, is his mental state. He's clearly a good actor, Captain, given that he's managed to survive thus far despite numerous attempts on his life. But I think the Blade we met on Heliopolis was real, just as the moody one we've got now is. Something in his head isn't quite straight, almost like he's switching between two personalities; except he seems to have settled on a combination of the two now."

"Are you saying he's schizophrenic?"

He nodded. "I think so, at least slightly. He's only been aboard a few days, but I've kept an eye on him, and it seems he's begun to suffer from mood swings; sometimes he's cheerful, sometimes he gets depressed and heads off for points unknown deep within the ship."

"I wonder what could be causing it..." Ramius mused.

La Flaga raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, just what do we know about his history, Captain?"

"Well, he-" The Captain broke off, an arrested expression on her face.

He nodded again, more slowly. "Exactly. We don't know a thing about him, beyond the fact that he was once the Crimson Tiger... and I'm beginning to think he deliberately allowed that identity to become well-known so people wouldn't think to dig deeper." The pilot shrugged. "That tells me that Blade is _very_ experienced, and well-trained, in covert operations."

"Which would mean he's older than he looks..."

La Flaga shook his head. "That's what I thought, too, but Kira swears he knew him at a prep school in Copernicus for years, and he actually did apparently age like a normal human being. That's what I don't get about this guy. Either he's a lot older than he looks, which means he _isn't_ the Kevin Walker Kira knew, or he got very good training and had to put it to the test very frequently."

"I would say the latter," Ramius said after a moment. "We know he's had a rough few years, what with Blue Cosmos trying to kill him all the time, and he _is_ a Coordinator; they mature faster than Naturals, after all. But what are you getting at, Lieutenant?"

"He's undergone some kind of conditioning," he postulated. "I don't know when, who, or how, but at some time I think Blade underwent some type of conditioning, both physical and mental. I'd go so far as to say some form of brainwashing, something that he's still fighting even now."

She saw where he was going. "You're saying ZAFT did this to him, aren't you?"

"Yes. I never heard of anybody like him, but it all fits. ZAFT would have the motive, and probably the means; and I've heard Blade used to visit the PLANTs a lot for some reason or other, so they even had opportunity. Whatever it is, though, seems to be triggered by combat stress, which is why he often seems perfectly normal." La Flaga shrugged. "If I had to guess, I'd say his personality is affected even by those he's with, so being around certain people would cause different personality traits to manifest. In other words, if it's someone he's known either since before the conditioning took place or after he'd spent some time on Heliopolis, he's fairly normal. But if it's someone he encountered _during_ his wilderness years, or possibly even after things heated up at Heliopolis, the 'battle mind' becomes dominant. And in combat, all bets are off."

Ramius nodded slowly. "So what we have on our hands is an ex-ZAFT secret agent with a touch of mental instability. Do you think he's a danger to the ship?"

La Flaga firmly shook his head. "No, somehow I don't think so. No matter how his moods and mannerisms might be affected, he's clearly fully in control of himself at all times, and he obviously hates ZAFT like nothing else. No, I think we just need to be careful what subjects we bring up with him, and stay out of his way when he gets angry. Other than that, it's only a concern in that I kinda like the kid, and I don't want to see him losing his mind like that."

"Same here." She absently drummed her fingers on the desk. "Too bad we don't have a psychiatrist with us; maybe that would help."

That prompted a laugh from the pilot. "Oh, no. I heard that kid express his opinion on the subject of 'shrinks' once, and, while I don't speak Russian, I'm pretty sure some of what he said is _not_ fit for polite conversation. He doesn't like them very much, that's for sure." La Flaga straightened then, and headed for the hatch. "Well, I just thought I should bring that to your attention, Captain. See you."

"Keep me informed, should anything else happen," she called after him.

"Roger that."

* * *

Kira, too, was concerned about his friend the Blade; he'd turned up missing again, having vanished into the labyrinthine corridors he seemed to know so well 

Having never seen him like this, Kira was beginning to worry; along with Athrun, Kevin had been his best friend for years, and even during the first few weeks on Heliopolis, when he'd still been recovering from his "wilderness years", Kevin had never been quite this bad off. Something had happened to him, something that triggered the changes Kira had seen since ZAFT's attack on their home.

Kira finally found him in a compartment beneath the starboard Gottfried beam cannon, a place where no one except someone looking to get away from it all would think of. Kevin was floating there, incongruously upside-down and near the ceiling, when he entered.

"Hey, Blade," Kira said as he walked in. "I was wondering where you were; you didn't turn up for lunch, so..." He trailed off, seeing the peculiar expression on his friend's face. "Kevin? You okay?"

"Sometimes," Kevin said, offhandedly. "It comes and goes. Right now it's going, but a while ago it was coming on strong."

The Strike's pilot marveled at how, even in his deepest depression, Blade maintained his habit of wisecracking about everything. "What's wrong?"

The soldier rolled upright. "You don't want to know," he said quietly. "You don't need to, it would scare you so bad you'd never sleep again, and knowing could get you killed." He sighed. "But that isn't what's on my mind just now; it's just the cause of it. You remember that girl, on Heliopolis?"

Kira blinked at the apparent non sequitur. "Uh, yeah. You mean the one who was so surprised when she saw you? Cagalli, wasn't it?"

"Right; though she didn't introduce herself." Kevin absently tugged off his right glove, oblivious to the nasty scars that ran across the hand beneath. "I have to find her again, tovarisch. I have to see her."

His friend cocked his head. "Why?"

"Because... because I think I know her. No, I'm _certain_ I know her. But I can't remember from _where_." He hissed in frustration. "Kira, I'll be honest: about half my memory is gone, thereabouts. There are great gaps in my recollection, pieces of the great jigsaw puzzle of my mind that I have yet to recover."

This didn't surprise Kira as much as it might have; he still remembered the nights when Kevin would talk in his sleep, asking himself questions and muttering apparent nonsense phrases that in retrospect seemed to be some kind of code. "How'd it happen?"

"That's not important," Kevin told him. "It just _happened,_ okay? How isn't really relevant. The point is, from a time three years ago until about a month before I started living with you on Heliopolis, I didn't even know who _I_ was; every scrap of memory had been taken from me, and it took me a long while to start picking up the pieces." He looked down at his powerful hands, noting with a part of his mind the light reflecting off the enigmatic ring on his right hand. "Do you have any idea how much I hate this?" He seemed to be talking as much to himself now as to Kira. "With these hands of mine, I can tear apart battle tanks, crush bones to powder, and tie six-centimeter steel rods into knots. With this body, I can practically ignore bullets, keep fighting after a beating that would turn a normal man to paste, and survive G-forces that would kill anyone else. But I can't remember who that girl is, or any number of other things!"

Kira caught sight of the ring, and something clicked in his mind, even as he pondered the things his friend was ranting about. He'd no idea Kevin was so... unusual... and he had the distinct impression he'd been less so back in Copernicus. "You know, Blade... I think that girl was wearing a ring just like that."

Kevin looked up, and suddenly he was hit with a pounding headache, a symptom he suffered when memories began to return.

He stood next to a shuttle, at a mass driver facility. He was thirteen, almost fourteen; the girl who was seeing him off was the same age. To the day, Kevin suddenly remembered. She was saying something, but he could not recall the words; and she handed him a gold ring, with the engraved initials "K" and "C". Its twin was upon her own finger...

Kevin shook his head, fighting to clear it. "You're right," he said finally. "And she's the one who gave this to me. We were... friends, I think, close friends. From Orb; I remember the Kaguya mass driver. It must have been at the end of a school break. But I can't remember anything else, not even her full name."

Kira nodded sympathetically, though he saw it as a good sign that he was still recovering memories. "You... you do remember who _you_ are, right?"

"Yeah, I started to figure that out about six months before I got to Heliopolis. But I don't remember much of my life back home." It didn't surprise his fellow student that he didn't elaborate on his identity; even after all the years they'd known each other, Kevin Walker was still reluctant to reveal his true name, and Kira figured he had a good reason for it... whatever it might be.

"Any way I can help?"

Kevin managed a tight smile. "Not unless you're telepathic, tovarisch, or have ready access to someone who _does_ hold the missing links. No, I think the answer is to find that girl; I'm positive she holds the key. But... she isn't _quite_ my first objective when I reach Earth." The smile vanished. "You remember I told you my parents died at Porta Panama, three years ago? Well, I've got a line on the bastard responsible, and I'm going to kill him."

"But first we have to _get_ to Earth," Kira pointed out dryly. "And in case you didn't notice, we're running a little low on water. I don't know about you, but the rest of us can't live more than three days without it."

"Six days, for a Coordinator," Kevin corrected. "Close to a month for me; both because, for reasons I have never been able to fathom, I was engineered to be stronger than normal Coordinators, and because of some later enhancements I won't go into now. But, yeah, it _is_ a problem." He pushed away from the ceiling, letting his feet touch the floor. "Well, now that I've had my daily dose of fatalism and suicidal tendencies, I'm gonna go get that meal I missed."

* * *

Even as Kevin was heading off for his late lunch, the Bridge crew was plotting their course, determining the best route to Earth Alliance Headquarters at Ptolemaeus. 

La Flaga, in the copilot seat (Tolle was still off-shift), turned to look back at the Captain. "Well, at least we got that _Laurasia_-class off our backs; and all that pandemonium at Artemis helped in our escape. We owe ZAFT one for that."

"And I'm sure they'll collect," Ramius said dryly. "Especially since we had so many problems _before_ Artemis, and not one of them has been resolved. We're hardly adequately supplied, so our only real chance is to reach Lunar HQ as quickly as possible."

Badgiruel nodded absently, studying their course. "Is this really the fastest way? Can't we look for a better route somewhere?"

"Afraid not," Neumann replied. "If we chart a course any closer to Earth, we'll have to cross the Debris Belt." He referred to Earth's artificial ring of space debris, left over from the earliest days of space colonization. Ship's rumor held that Kevin Walker had once flown a hair-raising escape run through the titanic mass of space junk (rumor courtesy of one Lieutenant Mu La Flaga), but even those who believed the story felt that not even _that_ enigmatic superman could pilot a ship as large as the _Archangel_ through it.

Ramius, however, wasn't as well-acquainted with the dangers. "Suppose we navigate _through_ it?"

"Through the Debris Belt?" Neumann repeated incredulously. "There's no way that's possible! If we attempt to chart a course through that, we'll end up _part_ of the debris."

"The junk heap humanity made, ever since they began exploring space," La Flaga mused. "It's true, we don't want to be a part of that... Hey, wait a second! Yes, the Debris Belt!"

Ramius looked at the pilot like he'd suddenly turned into a giant squirrel. "Huh?"

La Flaga stood, with a sly smile on his face. "Am I a person who can make the impossible... possible?"

* * *

A few decks below, Kevin floated into the cafeteria; as he was off-duty, he was out of uniform. He had reverted to his standard black outfit, with sunglasses hiding his bright jade eyes and a revolver in a black leather thigh holster (his other gun was only visible as a bulge under his jacket). 

Shortly after entering, Sai nudged Flay (also in the room), who promptly walked over to the young mystery man. "Um, Kevin..." she began hesitantly.

Kevin looked up and pulled off his shades. "Yeah, Flay?"

"I want to apologize for what happened the other day," Flay said meekly. "I shouldn't have told them who you were; I didn't mean to cause such a commotion."

He waved a hand, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Don't worry about it, Flay. You couldn't have known Garcia would try what he did; and it _is_ the truth. Besides, after what ZAFT did to Artemis, I very much doubt that the information will go any farther." Kevin did not add that he'd had more than a little to do with ensuring that silence.

Kira, having entered behind him, chuckled. "And anyway, it's not like _we_ know who he is, either. All Garcia got was one alias among many."

Blade nodded. "That's right." His gaze, once more shrouded by shades, turned serious. "Look, Flay, I understand why you did it. You were scared, and not just of those Eurasian bastards. Frankly, I can't blame you for being scared of me; my reputation is pretty fearsome, and I haven't exactly done anything to minimize it. But one thing you can count on: I _never_ hurt my friends." He smiled reassuringly (something which looked somewhat out of place on a face that had recently reflected depression and cold-blooded battle tactics). "You've got nothing to fear from me."

Flay looked reassured. "I know. And from what Sai tells me, we're all better off with you helping us."

"Except, of course," Tolle put in, "that he doesn't have a machine to fly right now. Mr. Murdoch isn't very happy with the condition of your GINN, Blade."

"Well, excuse me," Kevin said sarcastically. "Next time the Buster tries to blow us all to atoms, I'll make sure I stay someplace where the paint can't be scratched. Look, you tell Murdoch that the mechanics may fix the machines, but us pilots are the ones putting their lives on the line. Space combat ain't exactly the most congenial of environments."

"Well, you gotta admit that spare parts are a problem," Tolle retorted. "The _Archangel_ wasn't intended to service GINNs. You lost a good chunk of armor out there, Blade, and every part has to be made from scratch."

"Which means I'll be out of action for awhile." Kevin looked mildly disgusted. "Yeah, I know. Well, Murdoch's not the only one who's irritated. He just has to maintain them; _I'm_ the guy who has to fly it, and I hate being helpless in a battle."

The discussion was cut off by a PA announcement. _"Volunteers to the Bridge. Repeat, volunteers report to the Bridge."_

Blade's expression was now _definitely_ disgusted. "Now I'll _never_ get lunch."

* * *

"Supplies?" Sai repeated a few minutes later, on the Bridge. "We can get some? From where?" 

"Get supplies, yes," La Flaga confirmed. "Or to be more precise, we intend to take them."

"You're sounding like a pirate, Lieutenant," Kevin commented, drifting near the forward view screens. He was absently twirling a revolver (the presence of which only Badgiruel had thought of objecting to, and in the end she had decided she liked her head better where it was, with all the gray matter still inside).

While the Hawk of Endymion smirked at the soldier, Ramius continued where he had left off. "We're approaching the Debris Belt. Now, as you all know the Belt consists of a wide assortment of junked items, which means there are also a number of vessels that have been destroyed in battle."

Sai blinked. "Now hold on a minute! You're not suggesting-?"

"Extra credit to the bright student," La Flaga commented.

"Makes sense," Kevin murmured; as always, he was more pragmatic than his more idealistic friends.

"We will not take items that belong to others," the Captain said firmly. "We're not taking that much; only what we're in immediate need of. Just the basic necessities... in order to survive."

"If we _don't_ get supplies, we're not gonna last much longer," La Flaga concurred.

"So we'd like you people to use the shuttles and help with the work outside the ship," Ramius went on. "We're short of people, so we need your help."

"We'll need you to be flying cover, Kira," the older pilot said, then turned to Kevin. "Blade, Mr. Murdoch says your GINN won't be ready for sortie anytime soon, so I'm afraid you'll have to sit this one out. Unless..." His gaze turned speculative.

"Yes, Lieutenant," Blade said with a faint smile. "I'm combat-qualified on a Moebius Zero."

Flay (the reason for whose presence on the Bridge was unknown) looked startled, but Ramius only raised an eyebrow. For some peculiar reason, possibly related to having seen Kevin Walker perform extraordinary -one might almost say superhuman- feats, she was not surprised. "Well, then I suppose that's settled. But how did you happen to manage that, Blade? Only a handful of pilots ever graduated the course, and I think I'd've heard of someone like you going through it..."

Another faint smile. "Trade secret, mon Capitan."

* * *

Before long, Tolle, Sai, Mir, and Kuzzey were paired off with Chandra, Tonomura, Badgiruel, and Pal in the Mistral work shuttles, while Kevin and Kira flew cover in the Moebius Zero and Strike. 

As they neared what resembled the ruins of a space colony, La Flaga radioed Blade from the Bridge. _"Now, the Zero's a lot different from a mobile suit or any conventional fighter craft you may have flown before, Blade. In particular, the wired gunbarrels-"_

"I know, Lieutenant," Kevin interrupted. "I don't need advice, okay? I probably know more about this thing than you do, so with all due respect, shut up."

Taken aback for a moment, the Hawk chuckled and signed off, leaving the younger pilot to silently curse him in Russian. (It was rare to hear him curse in English; and if you did, it was a sign he was _really_ mad.)

"Quiet, huh, Blade?" Kira called a few minutes later.

"Yeah," his friend agreed. "Too quiet. Doesn't help that this place makes me nervous; the last time I was in the Debris Belt, I left with a nasty head wound."

"Yeah, if there's trouble within a million kilometers, you'll find it." Kira chuckled. "You have bad luck with explosions."

"Kira, you don't know the half of it," Kevin said fervently. "Maybe sometime I'll tell you about the fusion bomb that ought to have been the end of me..." His voice trailed off as he examined the sensor readings. "Hey, guys, does this place look familiar?"

Mir gasped, and Kira let out a startled yell. "A continent?" Tolle exclaimed. "It ended up here?"

Kevin muttered a startled oath in Russian. "The remains of Junius Seven!" Kira whispered.

Soon, the various vehicles came to rest and their occupants debarked to get a better look at the ruins, to see if it was indeed the colony destroyed in the horrific Bloody Valentine Tragedy, that had claimed over two hundred thousand Coordinator lives.

Kevin Walker, though, needed no such confirmation. He had been there the day the Earth Forces destroyed the helpless colony, and had barely escaped with his life. He knew Junius Seven when he saw it.

* * *

"That water over there? Are you _serious?"_

Kira's protest rang out through the Bridge half an hour later, as the space-suited gathered there. His opinion was shared by his classmates... with the possible exception of Kevin, whose expression was as inscrutable as ever behind the shades he had once again donned.

"There are close to a hundred million tons of ice frozen over on it," Badgiruel pointed out.

"You're kidding!" Kira's face was disbelieving. "You saw it for yourself, Natarle! That PLANT is where hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. And yet you-!"

"It's the only water we've been able to locate," Ramius interjected, attempting to break up the argument. _And I thought having _Blade_ argue with her was headache inducing!_

"Hey, _nobody's_ jumping for joy over this one," La Flaga said grimly. "I don't hear folks shouting 'Hurray, water!'"

"Lieutenant..."

"Hey, we're alive, guys! And if we have to, we'll do what it takes to continue to live!" He looked over at Kevin. "And what do _you_ think about this, Tiger?"

"Don't call me that," Blade said coolly. "As for what I think..." He shrugged. "I don't see that we have a choice. And, while this may sound harsh, I should point out that the dead don't exactly have much use for it anymore."

Kira nodded reluctantly at his friend's pragmatic view on the matter. "I guess you're right. But still..."

"Believe me, Kira, I've had to do worse." Kevin looked back at the Captain. "Well, Captain, I guess we'd better get started."

* * *

It was, however, some hours before salvage operations began. Even Natarle Badgiruel was not completely insensitive to the tragedy that had occurred at this place almost exactly a year earlier, so the crew set to work on a small memorial ceremony. Some of the civilians and the volunteers (minus Kevin, who had departed for compartments unknown, presumably to make his own arrangements) made flowers of carefully folded paper, to be scattered over the wreckage. 

Kevin finally turned up just as the shuttle crews were leaving. He was already clad in his striped, vacuum-tight flight suit, and he carried with him a plaque. What it said mo one was quite sure of; it was in Russian, using the Cyrillic alphabet no less. But as he'd barely escaped the fiasco with his own life, it was sure to be something personal.

Before long, they had gathered on an outcropping overlooking the rest of the ruined colony: the various crews in their shuttles, Kira, in the Strike, and Mir and Kevin standing at the cliff edge. From the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Ramius, La Flaga, and the rest of the Bridge watched, right hands over their hearts, as the small, silent tribute took place.

Mir stood silently for a few moments, then tossed the armful of paper flowers out over orbiting graveyard; and then Kevin lifted the plaque and spoke. "February 14, C.E. 70," he began solemnly. "A sad day in the history of humanity, and a day which must never be forgotten, or repeated." He added something in Russian, then released the plaque to drift down into the colony ruins.

He had said what needed to be said, and that was, right then, all that mattered.

* * *

Soon enough, salvage operations were underway, with the students and most of the Bridge crew operating the shuttles, Kira flying escort in the Strike, and Kevin cruising around the area in his borrowed mobile armor. 

"How are things going?" Ramius asked on the Bridge.

_"I'd say about two more hours,"_ Pal reported._ "We'll only have enough ammunition for one more trip, though."_

"It's good enough. All we need is enough water to make it to Earth Forces territory."

Meanwhile, Kira and Blade soared amongst the debris field that was once a space colony, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. This they found before long.

"Hey, Blade," Kira called. "Isn't that a civilian ship over there?" He transmitted the coordinates.

Kevin scrutinized the wrecked vessel. "Looks like it. Pretty bad off, too; I wonder how it got here." He drifted in for a closer look. "Hmm," he murmured, reading the ship's name. "_Silverwind_, huh? Sounds familiar, somehow..." He shrugged, and headed off elsewhere.

Kira, too, was about to turn away, but without warning, a mobile suit emerged from the _Silverwind_'s shadow, looking around. "A two-seater GINN?" he muttered in surprise. "Reconnaissance type... what's it doing all the way out here?" He ducked behind a drifting rock, beam rifle sticking out. "If it finds the _Archangel_ and calls for reinforcements, we're finished!" He sighted in, keeping his crosshairs centered on the ZAFT machine as it investigated the scene. "Come on... go away... just leave..."

The GINN finally turned and began moving away, and Kira breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

A _premature_ sigh of relief.

One of the Mistrals chose that moment to come into view, and the GINN saw it. The mobile suit immediately came in for a closer look, and then began to raise its rifle.

"No! Why'd you have to notice it?" Kira leveled his rifle again. "I gotta..." His finger trembled on the trigger, but he couldn't bring himself to pull it...

And the GINN opened fire, shattering his paralysis. No sooner had the first shot been fired than Kira retaliated, first blowing off its left arm and then destroying it completely.

"Thanks, Kira!" Kuzzey called from the shuttle, voice shaky.

"I seriously thought I was going to die," Chandra agreed.

_"Kid!"_ La Flaga called._ "What happ-"_

Kira shut off his radio, then pounded his fists against the instrument panel. "Arrgh!"

A moment later, he looked up as his displays beeped at him. The screen zoomed in on an object that was now drifting into view, broadcasting a distress call. "A lifepod? What's it doing here?" He keyed his radio, connecting with the Zero. "Blade, we got a lifepod out here. Think we should bring it in?"

"Yeah," his friend answered instantly. "Can't just leave 'em to die out here."

The Strike grabbed hold of the drifting escape vehicle, and Kevin settled in to fly escort. At the same time, out of some obscure impulse, he reached out with his empathic sense, trying to get a read of the occupant... and promptly had his mind slammed forcefully back into his skull as the mother of all headaches hit him.

_"Blade!" _La Flaga shouted from the Bridge, as the Zero nearly collided with the colony._ "Are you all right?"_

Kevin shook his head. "Y-yeah, Lieutenant. I'm okay. Just a bad headache. Really bad." Regaining control of the mobile armor, he contacted Kira. "Tovarisch, let's get this thing aboard, ASAP. I've... got a feeling about who's aboard."

* * *

The lifepod soon sat on the deck of the _Archangel_'s hanger, with Murdoch working on the hatch controls. In front of it stood Ramius, La Flaga, Badgiruel, several armed guards, and Kira and Kevin. 

La Flaga found it curious that Kevin did not appear in the least bit concerned; he didn't even have a weapon out, which was peculiar in light of the fact that they had no idea who or what was in the pod. _Unless he knows something we don't,_ he mused. _But how can he?_ He was not yet aware of the full extant of the young soldier's zoanthrope talents.

"Okay, I'm opening it," Murdoch called. He hit a final switch, and the hatch opened.

First out was an odd, ball-like robot; it was pink, and muttering to the world in general as it drifted past the bemused crew. Then came a voice. "Thank you! I appreciate your assistance!"

All eyes whipped back to the lifepod as a young woman in a dress, with pink hair and a relieved expression, came floating out. Kira's gaze was instantly riveted, and the rest of the crew looked on in confusion... until another voice spoke from the rear.

"Hi, Lacus."

All eyes turned to Kevin Walker as the Coordinator soldier reached out a hand... and smiled in pleased recognition.

* * *

Author's notes: The plot thickens. What connection could a humble college student have to Lacus Clyne? Of course, Kevin Walker is clearly more than he appears… 

Bigronnie17, thanks for the info; that's led me to slightly modify later events. Interesting, certainly; though as I said, Kevin eventually upgrades to another mobile suit.

Centurious, I'm afraid that I haven't the slightest idea what "solkin syn" means; all I know is that it's Russian and it isn't complementary. Tovarisch, on the other hand, means "comrade". The reason he calls people this is fleshed out in a later chapter, but I'll say now that it's more than merely a form of address to Kevin Walker.

RVD, stay tuned; this enigmatic pilot/soldier changes the "legged ship's" destiny quite a bit. It more or less follows the anime's events at first, but it changes considerably later on.

That should cover everything. Let me know what you think. Solid Shark


	5. Chapter 5: Riddles and Royalty

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

There was complete silence in the _Archangel_'s hanger. All stared at their mysterious comrade, including the new arrival. 

The girl Kevin Walker had identified as "Lacus" reflexively took the hand he offered and came to a rest on the deck. The recognition was apparently not mutual; the young woman looked uncertainly at Kevin's face for several moments, as though she knew him but could not recall from where.

Then she gasped. "Kevin! You're alive!" Completing the astonished confusion of the Earth forces personnel, the girl embraced the young soldier. "We all thought you were dead!"

Kevin managed a quiet laugh and returned the embrace. "Yeah, I'm alive; sorry I made you worry. Reports of my untimely demise were greatly exaggerated."

Ramius tilted her head. "Is there... something we should know, Blade?" she asked carefully.

He pulled back. "Not really, Captain. She's just an... an old friend of mine, one whom I haven't seen in some time. You needn't spread the fact that I'm supposed to be dead, by the way; it would not do for that information to reach the wrong ears." Kevin half-smiled. "Captain, this is Lacus Clyne. Lacus, this is Captain Murrue Ramius, commanding officer of the _Archangel_, Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, alias the Hawk of Endymion -you've probably heard of him- and Ensign Natarle Badgiruel." He met Ramius' gaze. "Captain, I should inform you that Lacus here is the daughter of one _Siegel_ Clyne."

La Flaga blinked. "You don't mean... Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council?"

Badgiruel's eyes were halfway between astonishment and suspicion, resulting in a very strange expression. "You _know_ him, Blade?"

Lacus looked curiously at her "acquaintance". "'Blade'?" she repeated.

"These days I go by the name Kevin Walker, alias Blade," Kevin informed her. "They... don't know my real name." He looked at Badgiruel. "And yes, Ensign, I know Chairman Clyne rather well; for over ten years, in fact."

The ensign's eyes narrowed, but before she could reply, Lacus noticed the uniforms the people were wearing. "Oh, my. This isn't a ZAFT ship, is it?"

Kira, whose eyes had never left her, blinked. "No, this is an Earth Forces vessel. Uh... welcome."

Badgiruel clapped a hand to her temple, shaking her head in utter disbelief, and Ramius turned back to Lacus. "Perhaps we should discuss this in my office," she suggested. "Lieutenant, Ensign, if you and Miss Clyne would join me? And you, as well, Blade?" she added.

The soldier nodded. "Of course, Captain." He did not respect authority very much, but he _did_ respect someone who'd had the courage to face him with a gun, even unknowing of his past identities.

The group began to leave the hanger, and as they did so, two people looked carefully from one Coordinator to the other. Kira and La Flaga were both struck by something odd; and though it took them a few moments to understand it, they both quickly realized that there was a subtle but distinct resemblance between Lacus and Kevin...

* * *

Shortly, the officers, Lacus Clyne, and Kevin were in Ramius' office, where she hoped to find out exactly what the daughter of the Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council was doing out in the Debris Belt, of all places, in a lifepod. 

She also hoped that Lacus would give them some clue as to Kevin Walker's true identity, but she knew it was unlikely.

"Thank you very much for recovering my lifepod," the girl said again. "It was very kind of you." Lacus looked over at Kevin, who leaned casually against a bulkhead, twirling a revolver. "And it's very good to see you again, Kevin. You disappeared, and then we heard the news..."

He shrugged. "Reports of my death were... if not exaggerated, then premature. I'm alive again; and I have to say, it's a pleasure seeing you again, too."

La Flaga took note of Blade's phrasing. _Again? What's that supposed to mean?_

"But what were you doing in the Debris Belt in the first place?" Ramius questioned. "It's quite a ways from the PLANTs."

"Well," Lacus began, "as you know, it's been nearly one year since the Bloody Valentine Tragedy, in which Junius Seven was destroyed and over two hundred thousand people lost their lives. I was sent here on a preliminary survey, preparatory to a proper memorial ceremony."

Even Badgiruel had to grant the point; Junius Seven's destruction had been a barbaric action, and the PLANTs had every right to memorialize the victims. "But how did you end up floating out there in a lifepod?"

Lacus shrugged. "Soon after entering the Debris Belt, we were approached by a ship that, like yours, belonged to the Earth Forces. They asked permission to board, saying that it was an inspection, so I accepted. But when they heard why we were here, they became angry; this led to a small quarrel, which soon developed into a major incident. Before I knew what was happening, a crew member pushed me into that lifepod, and that's all I know." She looked worried. "I do hope that everything has calmed down, and that everyone is all right."

A suspicion formed in the back of Kevin's mind. "Lacus," he said quietly, "what ship were you aboard?"

"The _Silverwind_; I believe you have traveled aboard it, as well."

He nodded slowly. "I thought she looked familiar." Kevin forbore to mention that the _Silverwind_ was now a gutted wreck; his "friend" would find out soon enough.

"Well," Ramius sighed, "I guess that's that. Miss Clyne, we'll see what we can do about repatriating you, though it may take some time; we are in a critical situation ourselves. In the meantime, we'll try to make your stay as comfortable as possible. You're a guest, not a hostage."

Lacus smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Captain."

The Captain stood. "Blade, if you would show Miss Clyne to her quarters?"

The soldier nodded. "With pleasure, Captain."

* * *

Once outside Ramius' office, Kevin said hardly a word until he and Lacus reached the quarters set aside for her. After they entered, however, he smiled. "Okay, we can speak freely in here; for obvious reasons, there's no surveillance in crew quarters." 

She tilted her head. "Is it really that necessary, not to talk in the corridors?"

"It's not that," he assured her. "It's just that the _Archangel_'s crew doesn't know who I really am, and frankly I'd like to keep it that way."

"But why? You never used to hide yourself like that."

"Things have changed, tovarisch," Kevin told her. "When my parents died in Panama, well, a lot of things happened, not a one of them good. You really don't want to know all the particulars, but if you want a sampling, check news reports of the Crimson Tiger."

Lacus gasped. "That was _you?_ Kevin, it must have been horrible!"

"It was," he acknowledged. "And that wasn't even the worst. But because of all that, I don't trust easily; not anymore. You're the only one aboard who knows my real name, and one of two who really know me at all."

"That young man in the hanger, he seemed very kind."

"That he is," Kevin agreed with a smile. "Doesn't have a malignant bone in his body. He's the one who found you, by the way, and brought you aboard."

She nodded. "I'll have to thank him personally."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." He looked away for a moment, then pealed off his right glove. "Lacus, there's something I've really got to ask you."

Lacus tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"

Kevin managed a weak chuckle. "You could say that; thanks to certain events you don't really want to know about, I've got some problems with my memory." He lifted his hand, showing her the ring. "Did I ever tell you who gave this to me?"

She looked at it carefully. "I'm sorry, Kevin," she said finally. "All you ever told me was that it was an old friend, whom you were looking forward to seeing again when you returned to Earth."

He sighed. "Well, thanks anyway. I'll just have to track her down myself." The young soldier of mystery leaned back against the wall. "So," he said, changing the subject, "how's your father these days? I haven't seen him in three years, not since... well, not since the troubles began."

"My father is quite well," Lacus replied, recovering her own good cheer. "Of course, the political responsibilities he carries _do_ tire him -as I'm sure you can understand," she added with a smile; the words evoked a grimace from Kevin, who knew far more about politics than he wanted to, for reasons very few had any knowledge of. "But he's well, otherwise."

He nodded. "Glad to hear it. He still working with Representative Zala?" For some reason, though Athrun's father had worked closely with Kevin's friend the Chairman, his voice took on an edge of... hatred, or perhaps loathing.

Lacus shrugged. "Some, yes; but I'm afraid they're beginning to move in different directions now. Patrick Zala wishes to expand the frontlines of battle, escalate the conflict. But I'm sure it won't come to that."

"I hope you're right," Kevin murmured, thinking of another example of "escalation", which had occurred before the war even began.

* * *

Later, Kevin wandered the _Archangel_'s corridors, feeling somewhat more cheerful than he had in days; seeing an acquaintance from his past, one who knew who he truly was, had buoyed his spirits some. 

"Hey, Blade," La Flaga greeted him; the Lieutenant had just left the cafeteria. "The Pink Princess settling in okay?"

"Seems to be, Lieutenant." Blade shook his head. "Though that girl is far more comfortable on an Earth Forces ship than I'd be on a ZAFT vessel. She's either naive, or she knows something I don't. Maybe both."

La Flaga had a number of questions he wanted to ask the mysterious young man, but he wasn't quite sure how to go about it; a direct approach would almost certainly be pointless. "So, how do you know Miss Clyne, anyway? You look like you go back a ways."

"We do," Kevin acknowledged. "Long before I went on the run. Too bad I won't be seeing much of her for awhile."

The pilot frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Once we reach Earth, Lieutenant, it'll be time for me to take my leave of the ship." He shrugged. "With Heliopolis gone, my last refuge is space dust. I'll have to go underground again, which means I won't be seeing much of what few friends I still have."

"You could stay with the ship," La Flaga suggested. "With your... unusual talents, I'm sure the military could use you. I mean, we've got a mutual enemy, don't we? You seem to hate ZAFT."

"Yeah, I do." Kevin's eyes, behind his perpetual sunglasses, were cold. "In fact, I've got more reason to hate ZAFT than just about anybody. But there are two very good reasons for me to leave the _Archangel_, Lieutenant: first of all, I'm starting to like this crew. That's dangerous; my friends tend to get hurt, especially since Blue Cosmos always seems to pick up on my trail again eventually. More importantly, though, is the fact that I don't trust the Earth Alliance. I have very good reasons for that, which I might even tell you about sometime."

"I see." The older pilot shrugged, and decided to change the subject. "So, you're a wizard with blades, huh? You have any skill with swords?"

"A little," Blade conceded, eyes narrowing suspiciously behind the shades. "Not something I've pursued in recent years, though. Why?"

"Oh, I was just curious." La Flaga leaned against the bulkhead. "A few years back, I used to follow fencing a good bit. Hasn't been the same, though, since Orb's top guy got himself assassinated. The Fencing Prince, they called him." He smiled, thinking back. "Amazing, the things that guy could do with a fencing foil; just fourteen or fifteen, when he died, but he was good. Can't seem to remember his name, though; the son of Baron Onishi, I think." He glanced at Kevin. "You're from Orb, right? Did you ever see him?"

"Once or twice," the youth allowed.

La Flaga shook his head. "Too bad what happened to him; went missing for a year, then turned up in a hospital and promptly got himself assassinated. Why would anybody want to kill a kid like that?"

"Oh, I'm sure there was some kind of reason," Kevin said smoothly. "Might not have been rational, but there's always some kind of motive."

"Guess you're right. Well, I've got Bridge watch in a few minutes; see you later, kid."

After La Flaga had left, the young soldier allowed himself a low chuckle. _Yeah, Lieutenant, I saw the Fencing Prince quite a few times. You might say I knew him better than anybody else..._

* * *

A little later, Kira wandered into the cafeteria, and immediately came to a halt. "No! I'm not going to do it!" 

"And why not?"

He walked over to Kuzzey, who was observing Mir and Flay's argument with detached interest. "What's up with them?" he asked quietly.

Kuzzey shrugged. "It's about that Coordinator girl's meal. Mir asked Flay to take it to her, but she refuses. That's _all_ they've been arguing about."

"I'm not going anywhere _near_ a Coordinator!" Flay insisted. "I'm too afraid."

Mir looked exasperated. "Afraid? Of _what?"_

"Well, you know how Coordinators are..." Flay trailed off, seeing Kira. "I don't mean you, Kira! You're different; I know that much."

"She's not a soldier, you know," Mir told her, attempting to calm her down. "It's not like she's going to jump out and attack you."

"You don't know that! Coordinators are so different from us. What if they're really strong or something?"

Kira winced. "Glad Blade didn't hear that," he said to Kuzzey, _sotto voce_. "I don't even want to know how he'd react."

"Wouldn't bother him a bit," his friend opined. "I mean, _he's_ really strong, isn't he? And I haven't seen him disliking being intimidating."

Their discussion was broken off by another voice, coming from the hatch. "My! Who's this really strong person you're talking about?"

Lacus Clyne stood in the hatchway, looking slightly bewildered.

* * *

On the Bridge, La Flaga chuckled to himself, drifting past Ramius. "We solve one problem with the supplies, and then get handed another one in the form of a pink-haired princess. The endless challenges we face." He mock-saluted. "A real treat, Cap'n." 

She managed a smile. "I suppose so. All sorts of interesting things seem to be happening to us, don't they?" Ramius frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder how Blade knows that girl."

La Flaga shrugged. "That's a question. We've finally met someone, though, who knows his real name... and that he's officially dead. That kind of narrows things down. I mean, how many people were reported dead three years ago with his description?"

Ramius chuckled. "Sandy hair, jade eyes, and more weapons than a Third World country? No, I suppose there aren't many people like him."

"Well," he went on, more seriously, "it's obvious the kid used to run in some pretty high circles; not just anybody knows the Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council, and I imagine even fewer know Miss Clyne that well. I mean, she practically knocked him off his feet."

"Childhood friends, I guess." She sighed. "I wonder what we're going to do with her? We're still en route to lunar headquarters, and if she goes there, they-"

"They'd welcome her with open arms," La Flaga interrupted. "She _is_ Clyne's daughter, after all. Someone like her could be very useful to the Earth Alliance."

"I hope to avoid putting her through all that," Ramius said quietly. "She's a young girl, not a pawn."

"If you're going to worry about that, then what about _them?"_ Badgiruel interjected, indicating the volunteers. "They've helped out with the operation of the ship, even fought with us in battle, and yet they're still just young civilians."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Ensign." The sudden voice, which startled La Flaga nearly out of his skin, was Blade's; he'd arrived sometime during the discussion. "I haven't been a civilian in quite a while now."

"I wasn't talking about you," Badgiruel said coolly. "We all know that. Besides, I'm not even sure that you're human."

Kevin looked at her carefully for a few moments, then turned away. "Did I ever claim to be?" He walked over to the elevator. "By the way," he said quietly as the hatch closed, "if you even think of using Lacus as a tool, I'll kill you."

La Flaga blinked. "What's with him?"

"Not exactly the best people skills," Badgiruel observed.

"Hard to blame him, really," Ramius said quietly. "I imagine most of the people he met when on the run were trying to kill him." She shrugged. "In any case, I don't see us doing anything that would cause him to make good on his threat."

"You hope," Badgiruel muttered. "I still don't trust him."

* * *

Everyone stared as Lacus entered the compartment. They had all thought their accidental guest was still in her quarters, away from the rest of the crew areas. 

"Oh, my," she said, seeing the startled faces. "I didn't mean to cause such a commotion. I was merely feeling hungry, so I decided to come looking for something to eat, since there was no one around to ask."

Unnoticed in the middle of this, another had arrived on the scene, from a different direction: Kevin. His expression was quite inscrutable behind his sunglasses, watching Lacus have what he suspected would be a less-than-pleasant encounter with Flay Allster. _Hmm. This may be difficult._

"I'm Lacus Clyne," the girl went on, extending a hand to Flay.

Flay's reaction was instant, unexpected, and vehement. "No! Stay away!" There was a look of genuine fear in her eyes, accompanied by something else... something Kevin recognized as loathing. "Why should I shake hands with someone like you?"

Lacus tilted her head, puzzled. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not a soldier or anything."

"Just leave me alone!" Flay glared at the "pink princess". "I don't want any of you Coordinators acting friendly with me!"

Three people had three very different reactions. Lacus looked even more puzzled, Kira felt as though someone had just punched him in the gut, and Kevin reflexively touched a revolver grip. _Tell me you don't mean that, Flay. _Please _tell me you don't mean it._

"Flay Allster!" Mir snapped angrily.

Flay suddenly appeared to remember there were two other Coordinators in the room. "Kira, Kevin..."

Kevin simply raised a hand, cutting her off. He glanced at his friend. "Kira," he said quietly, "I think you'd better escort Lacus back to her quarters."

"Yeah; good idea." Kira quickly guided Lacus out, grateful for the escape.

The cafeteria was filled with silence for a time, during which Tolle and Mir glanced occasionally at Kevin; he wondering what sort of action the feared "Crimson Tiger" might take, and she simply concerned. Others might fear him, but Mir had known Kevin Walker for a year. She knew that, whatever exterior he might project, he had a heart, and it must have been wounded by Flay's remarks.

"Flay..." Kuzzey said finally, choosing his words with care. "Are you a member of Blue Cosmos?"

"No, I'm not!" Flay snapped. "But the stance those people take-"

She went no further, for Blade had finally moved. "Good," he said softly, in response to her first words. "Because if you _were_ with Blue Cosmos, I'd kill you. Now. Those bastards have taken far too much from me, you know." He pulled off his sunglasses, and the jade ice his eyes had become chilled her. "Do you have any idea why I was on the run for two years, Flay? Do you know why I lived with Kira, instead of my own family, when I finally returned? Do you? Because Blue Cosmos murdered my parents!"

The sudden explosion from the normally soft-spoken Kevin shocked everyone in the room. "Kevin..." Mir began.

But he wasn't finished. "Blue Cosmos did not start my troubles. But they made them a whole lot worse, all because of something that was done to me before my birth! Can you really say that a man is to blame for something that occurred before his own birth?"

A moment later, Kevin was gone, leaving without waiting for a response. He left confused silence in his wake; it was vanishingly rare for him to lose his temper that way.

"You should think about what he said, Flay," Mir suggested finally. "Whether or not genetic engineering is unnatural, it's something Coordinators don't exactly have any control over."

Flay attempted to appear unperturbed, but the glimpse she'd just gotten of Kevin Walker's temper had rattled her rather badly.

* * *

"Must I stay in here again?" Lacus asked plaintively upon arrival in her quarters. 

"I'm sorry," Kira apologized. "But it's best if you stay here."

"But that's just no fun!" she complained. "I'd much rather be eating over there, while talking with everyone. I'm all alone in here."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "But this is an Earth Forces ship; and the Earth Alliance has a lot of people who, you might say... don't place much value on the status of Coordinators. The _Archangel_'s a lot better than most, but still..."

"Yet you've been very kind and understanding," Lacus pointed out.

Kira looked away. "Well, you see... I also happen to be a Coordinator; just like Kevin."

She brightened, an understanding look on her face. "Well, we know the reason why you're kind. It's because you are _you."_ Lacus tilted her head. "If you don't mind, could you tell me your name?"

He looked surprised for a moment. "Uh, it's Kira. Kira Yamato."

She smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Yamato. Thank you very much." A thought occurred to her. "So, you know Kevin, too?"

Kira nodded. "Yeah; we went to school together, in Copernicus, about ten years ago; we separated in 68, but we've always been close."

"I see. Do you have any idea what happened to him, during those three years? He won't tell me." Tha concerned Lacus; they, too, had always been close, and his disappearance and subsequent "death" had been a blow to her.

He shrugged. "He won't tell me, either; I just know that whatever it was, it had something to do with Blue Cosmos, and he lost his memory along the way." Kira raised an eyebrow. "So who is he, really? I know he's from Orb, but I've never even heard his real name."

Lacus was silent several moments, considering her answer. "I am not certain I should tell you," she said finally. "If Kevin hasn't confided in you, I'm not sure I should betray his confidences, either. I can tell you, though, that he has his reasons for such reticence, whatever they may be; and that anything happening to him could have wide-reaching consequences." She smiled. "In some circles, Kevin is a very important young man."

Kira cocked his head, bemused. _Huh?_

* * *

A few minutes later, outside Lacus' quarters, Sai met Kira as he exited. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. At the Coordinator's blank look, he explained, "Mir told me about it." 

"I'll be okay," Kira said with an uneasy shrug. "Uh, how'd Blade take it?"

Sai looked a little nervous. "According to Mir, he blew up. Quite the sight, apparently; I've never seen him lose his temper that way."

"It happens."

"Yeah, well... I'll talk to Flay later," Sai offered. "Don't let it get to you, okay? I'm sure she didn't really mean anything by it."

"I guess..." Kira said absently.

He said nothing more, for soft singing could suddenly be heard through the hatch. Kira stood there for several moments, listening with rapt attention.

"Is it that girl singing?" Sai mused in wonder. "What a beautiful voice."

"Yeah," Kira agreed, wholeheartedly.

"But I wonder," Sai went on thoughtfully. "Is that voice a result of fiddling around with her genes?"

"Not _her_ genes, Sai," Kevin said, appearing from thin air and scaring the living daylights out of his friends. "Lacus is a _second_-generation Coordinator; her father was genetically engineered, while she merely inherited the enhancements. It's a distinction most Naturals don't seem to notice."

Sai shrugged. "I just don't know much about it, that's all. Now, come on. _We_ have to eat, too, you know."

* * *

On the Bridge, Pal was idly sipping at a drink container when his console beeped at him. "Hm?" He released his grip on the container, allowing it to float free, and focused his attention on the terminal, rapidly typing commands. "Captain?" 

Ramius turned. "What is, Mr. Pal?"

"We're receiving a transmission, Ma'am." Instantly, Ramius and Badgiruel were at his side, and Pal pointed at the screen. "There's no doubt about it. This is a coded pulse from the Earth Forces' Eighth Fleet."

The Captain's expression brightened. "Can you pull it in?"

"Doing it right now. Analyzing... decrypting... there."

The message was broken up by interference, but still partially understandable. _"This... Earth Forces Eighth_ _Fleet... _Archangel_, respond. This is... _Montgomery_... and _Law_. Rendezvous at these coordinates."_

"They're under Admiral Halberton's command!" Ramius said in relief.

The Bridge crew all began speaking at once. "The _Montgomery_... that's Koopman's ship, right?"

"We've made it!"

"Nothing's going to stop us now!"

It looked like the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship _Archangel_ was finally out of danger, after two long weeks fleeing ZAFT Forces. Once this advance force reached them, the enemy wouldn't dare attack.

Of course, as Kevin Walker would have said, the enemy sometimes has a different estimation of what they will and will not dare attempt. And Murphy's fell presence was felt everywhere, at all times.

This he knew well, for everything that could go wrong _had_ gone wrong for him.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin's past begins to emerge at last. What secrets lie behind him? 

Daniel Lynx, the issue of translations probably won't come up again anyway; I've already used just about my entire Russian vocabulary in here (minus a couple of insults I will _not_ be using under any circumstances). But I do see your point.

As to Flay, my point still stands. It will follow the events of the anime until such time as Kevin Walker intervenes. I will say this now: it's quite spectacular when it occurs.

As you can see, more of Kevin's "softer side" appears here; there will be more yet in the next chapter.

Also, as has been hinted at in earlier chapters, he _is_ acquainted with the Desert Tiger; more on that later.

And, yes, I noticed his resemblance to Ocelot and Vamp in terms of skills; in fact, several of Kevin's tricks were inspired by those two psychopaths.

Bigronnie17, you are not alone in your interest in the samurai. In fact, if you look you'll notice that almost everything I've posted has a katana in it somewhere (a weapon I _much_ prefer to broadswords, which I regard as little more than sharpened clubs).

That appears to cover everything. I'd better post this now; as I write, it's not long before the site goes to read-only mode. Anyway, read it and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	6. Chapter 6: Partings

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Kevin Walker was, as usual, keeping to himself when news of the pending rendezvous with the advance force from the Eighth Fleet was announced over the intercom. As far as he was concerned, the sooner they reached Earth, the sooner he could disembark and begin his hunt for CARDINAL... and the mystery girl from Heliopolis. Other than that, he really couldn't care less. 

Kevin was even less impressed when he heard who was on the _Montgomery_. He certainly sympathized with Flay, since Atlantic Federation Vice Foreign Minister George Allster was her father; but he had little use for government officials in general, and Atlantic Federation government officials in particular. And as for Captain Koopman, Kevin had heard of him, and he wasn't terribly impressed with the man's reputation.

_Andy would eat him for breakfast,_ he thought, gazing out a viewport in an unused compartment._ But then there are very few people who can outwit the Tiger. Shrewd, and perceptive, too._

Thinking of his mentor, and the experiments he had endured, Kevin extended the claws that lay hidden within his hands. "In the natural world, there is no such thing as boundless slaughter..." he whispered, remembering his mentor's words, years ago.

_"There is always an end to it,"_ the Tiger had said._ "But you... you are different. The road you walk on has no end." _The coffee-drinking warrior had had an odd smile on his face._ "Each step you take is paved with the corpses of your enemies."_

"Andy," Kevin mused aloud, "you should have been a prophet. How could you have known?"

Back when he knew the Tiger, Blade had only just begun his wandering days, his wilderness years; yet his mentor had already figured out that Kevin Walker (whom he knew as Racher, the Revenger) would shortly leave a trail of dead bodies and missing persons (many of whom soon turned up as dead bodies themselves) across five continents and a couple of dozen space colonies, wracking up a death toll of over three hundred.

And now he was headed back to Earth, back to the Libyan desert, to the very city where he had met his mentor... and where now resided the double agent whom he intended to, in assassin parlance, "TWEP": Terminate With Extreme Prejudice.

After all, those who wronged the Blade perished, slain by the perfectly tempered weapon Kevin Walker had become. The man who had shed his own name, taken another, and forsaken his homeland for good. The man whose body had been irrevocably changed by the devices which had been fused to his atomic structure... the man who had sworn to destroy both Blue Cosmos and ZAFT, for one had murdered his parents, and the other had taken advantage of the opportunity to do unto him whatever they wished.

_How ironic. They tried to create their ultimate weapon, but instead created their ultimate enemy. No doubt they would kill me, if they knew I still existed. But I am not yet ready for death. Medusa, Scylla, Talos... their deaths will not have been in vain. The destruction of the Destroyers _will_ have meaning, and when all is said and done..._

"When all is said and done," Kevin murmured, "then perhaps the Hydra will join those he murdered in death. With my purpose accomplished, my mission done, maybe Rachel and I will see each other again in death... as I atone for what I did to them, for my betrayal."

Yet somehow, he sensed there was someone yet out there, someone as close to him as even Rachel had once been, someone who would mourn his death as bitterly as he mourned those he had slaughtered, that horrible day. But Kevin Walker could not remember who...

* * *

Later, Kevin wandered into the hanger to perform some routine software checks on his GINN; apparently repairs were nearly complete, and Murdoch needed him to check things out. 

Murdoch was just leaving when the youth drifted past the Strike. "Hey, Kira," he greeted, looking in. "Rewriting the OS again?"

Kira shrugged. "Just changing the settings to match the offset values. I guess it doesn't really matter, since we're joining up with the Fleet, but..."

"But technically, it's still your job." Kevin nodded. "Lucky you; once we _do_ make the rendezvous, you won't have to worry about that anymore. I, on the other hand, retain personal possession of my machine; it may prove essential for my survival."

His friend raised an eyebrow. "Going underground again?"

"'Fraid so. You know how it is, Kira," Blade said wearily. "Blue Cosmos will inevitably catch up with me again, which puts everyone close to me in danger. Besides, there's someone I have every intention of hunting down and killing, and someone else I need to find because I think she holds the key to my identity."

"What about after that?" Kira asked. "You can't run forever; couldn't you just settle down someplace? The Atlantic Federation, or maybe Orb?"

"No, Kira," Kevin said firmly. "The Atlantic Federation is out, since they're a hotbed of Blue Cosmos -let me tell you sometime about a little altercation in the New Mexico desert- and, for that matter, the _head_ of Blue Cosmos was born there. As for Orb..." He trailed off. "No, Orb is absolutely out of the question. You don't know what it'd be like for me there, Kira. If they got hold of me again, I'd be wrapped in cotton and never let loose again. I _hate_ that kind of treatment." He quickly, and abruptly, changed the subject, as if realizing he'd said too much. "So, what about you, Kira? With Heliopolis gone, where will _you_ go?"

Kira shrugged. "To Orb, I guess; that's where my parents probably ended up. And I'm from there, originally, just like you."

_Oh, no, not "just like me" at all, Kira, _Kevin thought._ You've got no idea just how different we are. Not that it really matters, as far as I'm concerned._ "So," he said aloud, "you won't be joining the Earth Forces? Even to stay with this machine you pilot so well?"

Kira snorted. "Not a chance, Blade. I never wanted any part of this war; you know that. And I don't think you did, either. Am I wrong?"

The soldier slowly shook his head. "No, you're not. But things have changed, and now, while I don't care for the Earth Forces, either, I am nonetheless sworn to destroy ZAFT. Among other things."

"But why?"

"I can't tell you that," he said simply. "Too dangerous, and too many bad memories. Suffice it to say that since we parted in Copernicus, a great many things have happened."

Kira considered pressing the matter, then shrugged and dropped it; trying to get information out of Kevin Walker was like trying to get water out of a rock, only not as easy. "So you'll just wander around?"

"Pretty much," Kevin confirmed. "Oh, not exactly randomly; I'm sure there will always be _something_ I need to deal with. But settling down is probably out of the question."

"So, after we reach Earth, I guess we won't meet again," Kira said quietly. "Will we?"

"Don't worry," the soldier told him with a slight smile. "I'll drop in from time to time, if I survive... which I should; killing me is _not_ the easiest thing in the world. I should know." He shrugged. "Well, I should get to that maintenance before Mr. Murdoch does anything drastic." He pushed off toward his own, battered machine.

_What in the world was that all about?_ Kira wondered._ "Wrapped in cotton"? Kevin, who _are_ you?_

He was beginning to understand just how little he knew of his lethal friend's background.

* * *

On the Bridge, the mood had been considerably lighter ever since they'd made contact with the advance forces from the Eighth Fleet. 

Now Ramius and Badgiruel hovered by Romero Pal's station, watching the detection display he had up. And soon enough, three blips appeared on the screen.

"The contacts, Captain," Pal reported. "Thermal patterns consistent with 250- and 130-meter-class escort ships. Checking IFF... Confirmed. _Montgomery, Bernard, _and_ Law_."

Ramius smiled broadly in relief. "That's the Eighth Fleet, all right. We've made it."

"Not exactly a good omen, though," Badgiruel commented.

The Captain raised an eyebrow. "How so, Ensign?"

"Well, I still don't _trust_ Mr. Walker," she began, "but I have to agree with him on one point. There was once a general named Montgomery, back during the Second World War. In Walker's words, he was 'an incompetent little cockroach'. Most famous of his disasters is probably Operation Market Garden, which had plenty of luck involved... all of it bad."

Ramius chuckled. "I didn't know you were a student of military history, Natarle."

Badgiruel shrugged. "Remember, Captain, I _do_ come from a military family. But in this case, I've just heard Walker ranting about it."

"Yes, that does sound rather like him-"

"Radar wave interference," Pal broke in suddenly, alerted by the static which had consumed his display. "Someone's deploying N-jammers, powerful enough to blanket this entire area!"

"What?" Ramius glanced down at the display, then darted over to her command chair. "It must be ZAFT! They found our trail at last."

"But how?" Badgiruel wondered aloud, moving to CIC. "How could they have located us after flying through the Debris Belt?"

"Does it really matter?" The Captain shook her head. "Contact the _Montgomery._ Request instructions."

"Yes, Ma'am," Kuzzey acknowledged.

"They were probably looking for Miss Clyne," Ramius murmured. "They must have stumbled onto our trail by pure chance, and decided to chase us down... But do they know she's onboard?"

"Unlikely, Captain," Badgiruel opined. "She _is_ Clyne's daughter, after all; if they knew she was aboard, they wouldn't even think of something this... blatant. More likely, they'd use the Blitz for some kind of boarding action."

"Except that it isn't a _Laurasia_ out there," Pal cut in. "It's a _Nazca_. So whichever ship that is, it won't have the Blitz aboard."

"Thank heavens for small favors."

"Orders from Captain Koopman, Ma'am," Kuzzey reported. "We're to stay out of the fighting and attempt to withdraw. We are _not_ to launch mobile weapons."

Ramius sighed. "Understood. But, just out of curiosity, what's the opposition?"

Pal consulted his display. "The _Nazca_, three GINNS... and the Aegis."

She bared her teeth. "Then we know exactly which _Nazca_-class it is." She hit an intercom button. "All hands to Level One Battlestations; repeat, all hands to Level One Battlestations. Lieutenant La Flaga, Kira, Blade, to your machines and stand by. Orders are _not_ to launch, but just in case..."

To no one's surprise, Kevin's voice came back, _"We're to stay out of it? Tch, I always _knew_ Koopman was an idiot."_ An audible sigh. _"All right, Captain, standing by."_

* * *

Kevin entered the hanger in a thoroughly disgruntled mood. Not only had his meal been interrupted yet again, in addition to his usual depression, but now he was following the orders of an idiot. He'd heard of Captain Augustus Koopman. 

He did _not_ have a high opinion of the man.

On his way there, he'd also heard Kira get sidetracked by a very worried Flay, who was more afraid for her father than herself. She was, in fact, sufficiently terrified that Kira had told her everything would be all right. Actually, he'd _promised_ her... something which the passing soldier thought was not his brightest move. If everything was _not_ "all right", Flay's reaction could be... severe.

Kevin, however, had other problems; another of which reared its ugly head not ten seconds after he reached his GINN. "Sorry, kid," Murdoch said, spying him. "It still ain't ready."

He managed not to roll his eyes in irritation. "What now? I thought you said the major structural repairs were done."

"They are," the mechanic agreed. "But it turns out we missed an electrical fault in the verniers; doesn't help this is the first GINN any of us have ever _seen_ up close, let alone worked on."

"Okay, then," Kevin said with a sigh. "As it happens, I _am_ familiar with GINNs. I'd better get to work." Doffing his flight suit, he pulled himself into the cockpit and keyed the radio. "Hey, Kira?"

"Yeah, Blade?" Kira responded, having finally gotten to the Strike.

"Looks like I'll be sitting this one out, tovarisch; my bird's got a broken wing. Now, I don't think we'll be able to avoid action, so keep in mind you'll be short a little support."

"I'll manage, Blade." Kira swallowed. "The Aegis is out there, by the way. Think we'll have to fight... _him_ again? Like outside Artemis?"

"Probably," Kevin conceded. "I don't like it either, Kira, but if he attacks you, you know what you have to do. The whole ship is counting on you."

"I know. And," the other pilot added to himself, "I'm getting _really_ tired of hearing that."

"Believe me," his friend commented, his keen ears having overheard the remark, "there _are_ worse things in this life. I should know, most of them have happened to me. Murphy's Law -and who the blazes was Murphy?- could have been written for me."

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Captain Augustus Koopman muttered to himself on _Montgomery_'s Bridge. "Surely we should be doing better than _this!"_

The battle was not going well for the two 130- and one 250-meter-class ships of the advance force. They had deployed their mobile armors immediately, but it was a fact that a GINN, assuming an average pilot, was equal in battle strength to _five_ mobile armors with average pilots (Moebius Zeros were not factored in, since only one of them remained). Worse, it was becoming increasing apparent that a far larger number than even that would be required to take on a G-weapon such as the Aegis... particularly since only the three capital ships even had weapons which could _hurt_ the cursed thing!

"This is ridiculous!" Vice Foreign Minister George Allster burst out, ignorant of the fact that Koopman had just said the same thing. "There are four mobile suits and a single ship out there! We have _three_ ships and a dozen mobile armors! What are your people _doing?"_

Koopman felt an almost irresistible urge to punch the politician. As Kevin Walker had accused, he was not a brilliant man, but at least _he_ had some conception of the realities of modern warfare. This... this blathering _idiot...!_

"We're doing the best we can," he said in a forced-calm voice. "Unfortunately, one of those machines used to be ours, and it's more advanced than anything remaining in our arsenal except for the X105 Strike. And in order for that machine to do us any good, we have to buy the _Archangel_ time to make its withdrawal."

Allster, frightened into fury, clenched his fists. "We're being killed by our own machine that they stole? Is there _anything_ more ridiculous?"

A club would do nicely, Koopman thought. No, a sledgehammer...

* * *

Mu La Flaga, viewing the battle from the _Archangel_, was getting fed up. _That idiot! Ordering the _Archangel_ to stay out of it when we're the only ones with a realistic chance of stopping that thing, and small chance of us withdrawing in the first place!_

He finally keyed his Zero's radio. "Captain," he said harshly, "we've got to do something. The advance forces are getting slaughtered out there!"

On La Flaga's screen, Ramius visibly mulled things over, and sighed. _"There's no guarantee of us avoiding battle even if we _did_ withdraw."_ She nodded abruptly. _"Very well, then. Lieutenant La Flaga, Kira, launch at once. Blade, deploy as soon as your machine is ready."_

La Flaga nodded to himself and began the catapult launch sequence, while Kevin replied to Ramius. "No guarantees, Captain. This piece of ZAFT junk isn't working very well. I'll launch if I have the chance, but no promises."

"Understood, Blade. We'll keep you informed."

The soldier shook his head, still cross-wiring circuits in his cockpit. "'Keep me informed'. Hah! At this rate, the only event that's really going to matter is our destruction, and I don't imagine I'll need anyone to tell me about _that. _Ouch!" He winced as a shock went through his fingers, but quickly got back to work; pain didn't bother him much anymore, and he suspected he'd have a job to do soon enough.

* * *

"We've lost escort ship _Law!"_ _Montgomery_'s radar officer reported. "They're beginning their attack on the _Bernard!"_

"Isn't there anything that can be done about this?" Allster demanded. "Are you people just going to let them kill us?"

No, Koopman decided, a sledgehammer would _not_ be sufficient. No, a wrecking ball would be more appropriate... or perhaps an asteroid...

"We're doing the best we can," he said again. "But the fact remains that ZAFT, for all its inferior numbers, _does_ have qualitative superiority-"

Koopman broke off as a bright flash intersected with one of the approaching GINNs, consuming it in a massive kinetic strike. A shot from a capital ship-grade linear cannon.

"The _Archangel_ is firing!" came the report. "They've also deployed the Strike and Moebius Zero!"

Allster felt a surge of hope, uncomprehending how truly dire their situation was. "They've come to help us! Someone's finally shown some sense!"

Koopman gritted his teeth. "They shouldn't have."

* * *

On the _Vesalius_' Bridge, Rau Le Creuset smiled. "So... the lead player has made its appearance. Don't waste your time on the ones that don't matter." 

"So it begins," the armored figure next to him murmured. "The only question is... where is Hydra? I cannot see him sitting out _this_ battle."

Le Creuset glanced at his hatchetman. "I thought you said the stolen GINN received heavy damage at the Battle of Artemis. I would assume they're still repairing it."

"True," the assassin known as Invictus conceded. "I highly doubt they have spares for GINNs aboard." His eyes narrowed behind the helmet. "I assume you want me to deploy, Commander?"

"Yes; if we succeed in destroying the legged ship, the odds are good Hydra will survive. Secure him at all costs."

"Understood." The infamous assassin strode off the Bridge, prompting the crew to breath a collective sigh of relief. Invictus was on their side, but his reputation was still fearsome.

* * *

Had Kevin Walker been particularly concerned then by whether he lived or died, he probably would have been getting _very_ concerned about then. Kira and La Flaga had launched now, which had immediately put the Strike into direct conflict with the Aegis, and the Zero was trying to take on both remaining GINNs simultaneously, while the _Archangel_ attempted to fight both of those while also exchanging fire with the _Nazca_. In other words, it was not a recipe for survival. 

Then things got worse.

The soldier-pilot felt a click in his head, and froze, listening; only two people had the frequency for that radio, and Kira was undoubtedly far too busy. "Yes?" he subvocalized.

_"Blade,"_ Mir said, sounding urgent,_ "you'd better come up to the Bridge, right away. Flay's here, and she brought that Coordinator girl with her. She says-"_

Kevin could hear it for himself. _"Tell them!"_ Flay was ranting at Kuzzey, who was unlucky enough to be manning communications. _"Tell them that if they don't stop firing on my father's ship, I will kill this girl!"_

He felt cold fury at those words. He strongly disapproved of hostage-taking in general, and he and Lacus had always been close for a reason very few were aware of. If Flay Allster was threatening her life...

"Understood, Mir. I'll be right up."

"Thanks, Blade."

Kevin pulled himself out of the cockpit. "Something I need to take care off," he said in response to Murdoch's questioning look. "There seems to be a situation on the Bridge."

"Go for it, kid," the mechanic said without further question. He had no idea how Kevin knew there was a situation on the Bridge, but he, like his men, had grown accustomed to the Crimson Tiger being right. If he said space was white, they'd believe him.

Kevin did not particularly care just then what Murdoch or his people thought. What mattered was that, for all his ruthlessness, he loathed hostage-taking more than almost anything else. So if Flay Allster wasn't careful, there was a very good chance she would shortly wind up with a revolver bullet in her brain.

* * *

Ramius gritted her teeth on the Bridge. Bad enough that the advance was getting slaughtered; now Mu La Flaga had even been forced to retreat, leaving the Strike on its own to try to protect the one remaining escort ship... and _he_ was busy trying to deal with the Aegis. 

And now this.

Flay had already come to the Bridge once, trying to get a better look at the battle, before being escorted away by Sai. She'd seemed fearful then, but now she'd returned in fear-spawned anger... and with a hostage. Even now, the girl was ranting at Kuzzey, who at least had the good sense to keep the radio closed down.

She was still ranting when the elevator doors slid open, and a voice as cold as space spoke. "Let her go, Flay. _Now."_

Ramius turned to see Kevin Walker entering, normally calm face suffused with cold fury. "Blade...?"

Flay appeared not to have noticed the soldier's arrival. _"Tell them!"_ she shouted, keeping an iron grip on Lacus' shoulder.

_"Enough!"_ Kevin's voice cracked like a whip, and a revolver materialized in his hand. "Let Lacus go, or I will not be responsible for my actions."

Sai came up behind him. "Blade, wait-"

Blade's free hand suddenly held a combat knife, pointed directly at his friend's chest; seeing it, Sai backed off, swallowing. Even though the soldier wasn't even looking at him, Sai knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he didn't _need_ to be.

"Stand down, Blade," Ramius ordered. Her voice was not as firm as she would have preferred, however... not that it would likely have mattered in any case.

"I don't think so, Captain," Kevin replied flatly. "I have seen, and suffered, far too many atrocities in my time. I will _not_ permit this to continue."

For several, endless seconds, the Bridge was a frozen tableau, with everyone wondering what would happen next. Then-

Something flashed on the main screen, and Flay shrieked. All eyes, even Blade's, whipped back to the display, just in time to see what was left of the escort ship _Montgomery_ vanish in a fiery pyre.

Flay had, in that instant, released her grip on Lacus, and she backed toward the elevator, eyes wide in disbelieving horror, breath rapid and ragged. She had gone white as a sheet.

Sometime in the interval, Kevin's weapons disappeared, and his gaze whipped over to Sai. "Get her out of here," he said curtly, an uncharacteristic note of command in his voice.

Sai nodded choppily, grabbed Flay by the arm, and pulled her from the room; even as he did so, she fainted dead away... which was probably a mercy.

"Now we have just one problem," Kevin said conversationally. "We are one ship and one mobile suit against one ship and _three_ mobile suits. Anyone have any bright ideas?"

Natarle Badgiruel, apparently, did. She pulled herself up out of CIC and snatched Kuzzey's headset with one hand, while pulling a confused Lacus (who didn't seem to understand any of what had just happened) into view of the transmitter.

"Attention, all ZAFT forces," she said, clearly and distinctly, "we have aboard our ship someone I believe you're familiar with: Miss Lacus Clyne. No doubt you are as aware as we are of the consequences to your troops' morale if anything were to happen to Miss Clyne."

Out in space, Kira and Athrun had ceased fighting as the transmission began. "Lacus?" Athrun whispered, startled.

"What are they _thinking?"_ Kira wondered.

"If you continue your attack," Badgiruel went on, "her safety cannot be guaranteed... and if it appears likely that our ship will be destroyed, we will be forced to take matters into our own hands. I suggest your consider that very carefully." With that, she disconnected, and glanced at Lacus. "Someone escort Miss Clyne to her quarters."

While the still-confused girl was lead away, the ensign met Ramius' eyes unflinchingly. "I couldn't just sit by and let them destroy the Strike and the _Archangel_," she said flatly.

"Yes, Natarle," the Captain replied in a toneless voice. "I know."

Badgiruel then looked at Kevin Walker, and paled in instinctive fear. He was angrier than any living person had ever seen him; not screaming mad, but calmly, methodically kill entire cities mad. "If you ever," he said in a flat, overly-controlled voice, _"ever _do that again, I will kill you, Natarle Badgiruel. Quickly, and without a shred of mercy. Remember that the next time you choose to stoop to such _cowardly_ tactics!"

He stormed off the Bridge in a towering rage, leaving Ramius very, very thankful he had sufficient self-control to avoid transforming. She'd heard tales of the Crimson Tiger's zoanthrope rampages, and she most certainly did _not_ want a berserk man-tiger on her Bridge.

Not that she could actually _disagree_ with his sentiments this time.

* * *

There was mild pandemonium on the _Vesalius_' Bridge. "Commander?" Ades urgently asked of Le Creuset. 

"Yes, yes, I know," the masked man replied. "We can't afford to continue military operations with Miss Clyne in that position. Signal withdrawal."

"Yes, Commander." Ades turned away. "That's right, break off the attack! Didn't you hear that broadcast?"

In the Aegis' cockpit, Athrun felt a rage fully as towering as that of his lethal former friend. "Well, Kira?" he demanded. "Using a rescued civilian as a hostage? Do you still feel justified in fighting by the sides of these cowards?"

"Athrun, I..." Kira couldn't finish it; Badgiruel's actions had badly disturbed him, as well.

"I'm _gonna_ rescue her," Athrun whispered harshly. "That's a _promise."_ Without another word, he swung the Aegis around and boosted back toward his mothership.

"This is a fine kettle of fish," Invictus murmured. "I must admit, I never expected the Earth Forces to resort to such tactics."

"Neither did I," Le Creuset admitted. "Say what you will about the Naturals, they're usually more scrupulous than this." He cocked his head. "I notice Hydra was not involved in that battle; one wonders how many people just died over there."

"Probably none," the assassin said after a moment. "Difficult to be certain, but under these circumstances, it's unlikely he executed anyone. No doubt he _threatened_ a few lives... but for all his hatred of hostage-taking, he's a very pragmatic man. Although... he _is_ quite devoted to Miss Lacus Clyne."

His employer looked at him sharply. "I wasn't aware they were acquainted."

"Most people aren't," Invictus said slowly. "I won't say exactly how she _does_ know him -that delves too deeply into his true identity- but the fact is, most people think he's dead. I imagine Lacus" distracted, he was no longer using a title "had quite the shock upon meeting him here. Ironically, though, she is most likely the only person on the legged ship who _does_ know who he is."

"This is all very fascinating," Le Creuset said, after pondering the information, "but it still leaves us with the question of how to retrieve her. I _would_ send you, but..."

"I'd never get anywhere near her. Copy or not, I'd not have any chance at all of getting past _that_ soldier." The assassin flexed an armored arm. "I'm strong, but I didn't get the full package, and Hydra is a far better shot." He shook his head. "No, Commander, I believe we need to fall back for now and regroup."

"Agreed."

* * *

By this time, the Strike and Moebius Zero had both landed back on the _Archangel_, and La Flaga was already speaking with Murdoch about the required repairs. 

"This is getting ridiculous," the mechanic complained. "What _is_ it with this ship? Is it cursed?"

"Nah," the pilot disclaimed. "I think Le Creuset is the curse."

"What were they thinking up there?" Kira demanded, approaching them. "Using a rescued civilian as a hostage? How _could_ they? Are these the kind of tactics the enemy can expect from the Earth Forces?"

"The only reason we'd resort to such tactics is because we're weak," La Flaga said wearily. "We have numerical superiority, but ZAFT's technological edge is still overwhelming. In this situation, it was the only way we could survive, so neither you nor I have any right to question the actions of the captain or the combat commander."

"Garbage," Kevin snapped, entering the hanger. "Absolute garbage."

The Hawk looked at him. "Listen, Blade, this is war. Sometimes you have to do things you don't like to survive-"

"Some kinds of survival aren't worth it, _Lieutenant,"_ the soldier snarled. "If we stoop to such tactics, we lose the moral high ground, and when we lose the moral high ground, we don't _deserve_ to survive. So if anyone tries that again, _especially_ with Lacus Clyne, they're dead. Dead. Meat. Understand?"

La Flaga's eyes narrowed. "This isn't like you, Blade. I can understand why you'd be angry, but why exactly is Lacus Clyne so important to you? How _do_ you know her?"

"Not your business, Lieutenant," Kevin snapped. "And you wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyway." He looked over at Kira. "C'mon, tovarisch. Let's get out of here before I eat someone."

The younger pilots left together, leaving a silent La Flaga behind to ponder what he'd just heard. It seemed that every day, the Blade became more and more of an enigma. Would he ever learn the Crimson Tiger's story? And if he did, would he survive the experience? He'd thought the soldier was bluffing about eating someone... but when his back turned, La Flaga saw a frightening sight: a red-and-black-striped tail, thrashing in agitation. Kevin Walker had become sufficiently enraged to partially transform, which boded _very_ ill for anyone else who tried Badgiruel's stunt.

_Maybe,_ the Hawk thought,_ I'd better pass that along to the Captain. I get the distinct feeling he _would_ eat someone if his temper ever slipped its leash._

* * *

"What a rotten mess _that_ was," Kevin muttered a few hours later. His rage had had a chance to cool somewhat, and in fact Natarle Badgiruel was now the only target of his fury. The soldier was all too well aware of what people could do when they were not quite in their right mind, so he no longer bore any real ill will toward Flay. He, too, had lost his parents; and in her place he very probably would have done the same thing. 

Which left him only with concern. Kevin recalled a time, now long before, when he, too, had passed out after such an event. He had almost never come out of it, almost willed himself to die... he only hoped Flay would find something to anchor her to the world of the living.

He was wandering the corridors when he ran into Kira again. "Hey, Blade," the other pilot greeted. "Can't sleep?" It was the middle of the ship's night.

"I don't sleep much," Kevin admitted. "Nightmares. Besides, I need to work off a little steam; I haven't been that mad in years."

Kira raised his eyebrows. "And what happened to the last person you got that mad at?"

The soldier winced. "Let's just say it took me a week or so to get the taste out of my mouth, and leave it at that, okay?"

"Uh, right." The Strike pilot could draw his own conclusions from that statement, and he didn't really want any confirmation. "So, any word on Flay?" he asked, changing the subject.

"None," Kevin said, shaking his head. "Sai tells me she just lies there, unconscious; seeing her father blow up like that hit her very hard. I only hope she pulls through."

Kira looked at him sharply. "But she wasn't hurt, was she? Unless you..."

"No, Kira. I got angry, but I also understood _why_ she was doing it. No, the problem is mental, not physical; she... might choose to just die, Kira."

He gasped. "No way. Flay wouldn't..."

Kevin shrugged. "I don't think so either, but trauma does strange things to people, tovarisch. I should know." A shadow crossed his face. "But I think you're right," he went on. "She's naive, but tough; she'll make it." He started to turn away, then looked back. "But, Kira... remember this: when she wakes up, she might not be very happy with you. Try to weather it, and understand what she's going through, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Kira agreed, feeling perplexed. He _didn't_ understand what his friend was talking about... but he had a bad feeling he would soon find out.

* * *

The next day, Kira learned the price of caring, and only past experience kept Kevin Walker from doing something he would regret. 

Kevin was just nearing the Infirmary to check on Flay when he heard the loud, angry voice, and he winced. _I _knew_ this was coming._ Worse, Kira was in range, and Flay had already seen him.

She was on the deck, in Sai's arms, and her eyes were filled with hate as she glared at Kira. "You... you promised me everything would be fine! You _lied_ to me!" She bared her teeth in a snarl. "You didn't make any serious attempt to fight, did you?" she challenged. "It's because _you're_ a Coordinator too!"

Kevin stood back, safely out of sight, and watched Kira's eyes go wide with shocked pain. _But... but I..._ the Coordinator thought, momentarily paralyzed; then he ran off, ignoring the calls of his name.

The hatch swiftly slid shut behind Mir, who had also witnessed the exchange. "That wasn't good, was it?" she asked Blade.

"No," the soldier conceded. "It wasn't. Nor, however, was it unexpected. Not in this situation."

She raised an eyebrow. "You've seen it before?"

"Worse. I've _been_ there before." Kevin sighed, feeling as depressed as ever. "It was... a bad time in my life. My parents had recently been assassinated -never mind why- and my own cursed journey had just begun. So, yeah, I can see why Flay is like this... and I can see how much it hurt Kira." He looked at her, jade eyes appearing almost pleading; a quality Mir told herself _had_ to be her imagination. "Keep an eye on her, will you? You and Sai? I've... got to go check on Kira."

"Sure, Blade." Mir paused. "Are_ you_ alright?"

He shrugged. "Won't say it does wonderful things for my mood, but I can handle it."

"Okay. But if you need to talk..."

Kevin laughed humorlessly. "Mir, the things I'd talk about would give you nightmares for the next ten years. Or more."

* * *

Lacus Clyne was, once again, wandering the _Archangel_'s corridors, whilst everyone else thought her securely locked in her quarters. Exactly _why_ she was usually locked in, she didn't really understand; nor did it really matter, since Haro had somehow managed to _un_lock it. Again. 

Lacus had been confused by a great deal of the events that had occurred since she set out from the PLANTs in preparation for the Bloody Valentine memorial ceremony. First her ship was boarded and attacked by Earth Forces soldiers, then her lifepod was picked up by a very nice young man who piloted a mobile suit for the new _Archangel_ and just happened to be a Coordinator himself; since then, she'd also been dragged to the ship's Bridge by an angry young woman and somehow ended hostilities by her very presence.

Nothing, however, topped Lacus' sheer astonishment at meeting Kevin Walker -only he hadn't been Kevin _Walker_ when she knew him- aboard this ship. She remembered very clearly when he was reported dead, and had even seen the (suitably edited) footage of the event. For the past two years, she'd been convinced that her good friend -though "friend" wasn't precisely the right word- was dead. _Very_ dead, in fact, even if he'd somehow managed to get his killer in the process.

So it had been a _profound_ shock to run into him on the _Archangel_. Profound... and very pleasant. Though Kevin was not quite the young man she had known (there was so much bitterness and ferocity in his heart), Lacus still loved him as she would a close relative. Which, of course, was only fitting...

She was heading aft when she heard a yell, a sound of pure frustration and despair. _? What was that?_ Lacus paused, wondering what she should do. _That sounded like Mr. Yamato. Is something wrong? Perhaps I should go see._

A few meters down the corridor, she found a hatch leading into an observation room, overlooking the aft of the ship, with a bulkhead-to-bulkhead, deck-to-deckhead viewport. Inside, Kira Yamato pressed his hands against the transparent material, and Kevin Walker was just entering through another hatch. The former was completely unaware of her presence, and the latter appeared to be, as well... but she knew perfectly well Kevin could feel her presence. It was not, however, Kevin who concerned her at this moment.

"Is something the matter?"

Kira turned quickly, to see Lacus floating right beside him. "L-Lacus?" There were unshed tears in his eyes; when she reached out to him, he quickly wiped a sleeve across. "What are you doing out here again?"

"Get used to it, tovarisch," Kevin said dryly. "Lacus tends to go anywhere, whenever she wants; how she does it, I have not the faintest idea."

"It was Haro," she explained, holding up the bizarre robot pet. "He wanted to go for a walk, and when he wants to, it doesn't seem to matter if the door is locked; he always manages to open it somehow." Lacus looked at Kira in concern. "The battle is over, I see," she said quietly.

He merely looked at her silently for a few moments. He considered telling her to go back to her quarters, but he had the feeling that even if she paid the least attention to it, Kevin would object; and he had no desire to quarrel with _him_. "Yeah," Kira said finally. "And it's all thanks to you."

"Yet you seem so sad," she noted. "Is something wrong?"

"Well..." he said slowly, thinking of Flay, "the truth is, I'm getting tired of all these battles. I never wanted to be a soldier, you know; I got kinda forced into it by recent events."

"That's too bad," Lacus said sympathetically. "It is always tragic when those who want no part of war are drawn into it. If only this war had never even begun..."

"No, Lacus," Kevin interjected softly. "This war had to be fought. Even if the Atlantic Federation hadn't pinned blame for the Copernicus bombing on the PLANTs, it would have come eventually. The domination of the colonies by the sponsor nations was wrong."

Kira looked at him in surprise. "Huh? I thought..."

The soldier nodded. "Sure, I hate ZAFT; never mind why," he added for Lacus' benefit. "But that doesn't mean I don't think the PLANTs are in the right. I think they _are_ taking things too far -or at least some of them are- but what they were forced to endure, especially the blockade and the Mandelbrot Incident, was intolerable."

"I agree," Lacus acknowledged. "But it doesn't change the fact that the two of you should never have been brought into it. Both of you are from a neutral nation, after all."

"True," Kira agreed. "And it doesn't help... that the pilot of the Aegis is a friend of ours."

"Athrun Zala," Kevin concurred. "A good man, and a close friend, but fighting for those I am sworn to destroy."

Lacus blinked. "Athrun...?"

Kira began to explain, but his friend cut him off suddenly. "Wait one," he snapped, stretching out with his empathic sense. There was someone near, someone who shouldn't have been...

He pushed off toward one of the hatches and opened it, to find Kuzzey Buskirk on the other side, looking startled. He had obviously been listening. "Um, Blade..." he began, trying to talk his way out.

Kevin ignored the excuses and grabbed his classmate by the collar with one powerful hand. "Kuzzey Buskirk," he said in a soft, dangerous voice, "what you are hearing is none of your business. And if I catch you eavesdropping again, I will break your neck. Clear? Now get out of my sight." He flung the flabbergasted student down the corridor and sealed the hatch.

Kira was actually trying to suppress a grin, but Lacus looked surprised, and a little worried. "Kevin, are you sure that was a good idea?"

He shrugged. "Oh, don't worry about it. Kuzzey hasn't trusted me since he found out I used to be the Crimson Tiger; merely threatening to break his neck and throwing him halfway across the ship can't make him trust me any less."

"I... see..." She blinked, then shrugged. "So you really know the pilot of the Aegis?"

"Yeah," Kira confirmed with a nod. "We both went to school with him, in Copernicus. But now... he was one of the ones who attacked Heliopolis, and he's still trying to shoot down the _Archangel_. That means we have to fight against him... whether we want to or not." Kevin nodded in silent agreement, his face an expressionless mask.

"That's just so sad," Lacus murmured. "You three are all good people; if only you no longer had to fight against your friend, it would be wonderful."

The soldier's eyes snapped to her. "'All good people'? Lacus, are you saying you know Athrun Zala?"

She appeared surprised at the question. "Well, of course. He's to be part of my life; Athrun Zala is the man I will eventually be marrying."

The two pilots exchanged incredulous looks, and Kevin slapped his forehead. _Oh, that's not good. That's just not good at all._

While the black-clad young man mused darkly, Kira attempted to recover his composure. "You're... you're Athrun's fiancé?"

Lacus nodded. "Yes, indeed. It's nice to meet friends of his, whatever the circumstances." She lifted the pink, round robot. "It was very kind of Athrun to give me this Haro; it has provided me with pleasant company when I'm lonely."

"Athrun built that?" Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"Yeah," Kira agreed. "Sounds like he hasn't changed a bit. I was lucky enough to bring along my Birdy, which he also made."

"Is that so?" Lacus was interested by this revelation; if Athrun had constructed such a thing, they _must_ have been close friends. "All this makes it so terrible that you have to fight each other; perhaps someday, you will no longer have to."

"Maybe..." Kevin began in a slightly strained voice. "But, Lacus... he's with ZAFT. That makes him, by definition, my mortal enemy. I swore long ago to destroy ZAFT, and I have every intention of fulfilling that oath. I... I promised Rachel."

That got him perplexed looks from both. "Rachel?" Lacus queried.

"Who?" Kira echoed.

"It doesn't really matter," Kevin said with a dismissive wave; the other two both had the distinct feeling he'd said more than he'd intended. "A friend, that's all. What matters is that Athrun is the enemy... and so I have no choice but to fight and, quite possibly, kill him."

"I understand," Lacus said gravely, wondering at the same time what could have scarred the young man so badly (in more ways than one, though she didn't know of his myriad of physical scars). "But perhaps there will come a time when that isn't necessary."

"I hope so," Kira said softly, for both of them. "I really do."

* * *

That night, Kevin Walker once again lay awake in the darkness, having awakened from yet another nightmare. He could never remember the substance of them, but he always awakened with the echoes of Oracle's commanding voice in his mind, or the taste of blood in his mouth. 

_Why?_ he asked himself._ Why do I still have these never-to-be-sufficiently-accursed nightmares? That creepy bastard's been dead for over two years; the conditioning should be _gone_, curse it!_

It was always the same. It was also the reason he'd tried to take himself out of the fighting for good; whenever battle came calling, whenever he had to unleash the dark demon that lay within him, it all came back. The memories, the conditioning, the old, familiar aches and pains. It was worse, infinitely worse, when he brought everything online, the way he had at Artemis; and since then, he hadn't been able to take the chance of shutting it down. Too many lives were at stake, especially Lacus and his brother.

Brother. That was how Kevin thought of Kira Yamato, ever since Copernicus. They had been like brothers then, and they had lived as brothers on Heliopolis. And it was his reunion with Kira that began again the long process of recovering his memories.

It wasn't the first time, he knew. He could vaguely recall having recovered _everything_ at one time... just before something else happened. Two years before, something had happened to him, something that had wiped his mind again, but he knew not what. Between crashing in Orb and awakening in the cockpit of an atmospheric fighter over the Pacific Ocean, his memory was blank.

The key, Kevin was certain, was that girl he had met on Heliopolis. Not their first meeting, obviously; and something had happened which made her think him dead... doubtless whatever kept his recollection blank.

_You see?_ came a voice from the depths of his memory._ You can't protect_ anyone!_ Not even yourself!_

"Wrong," Kevin whispered to himself. "There _is_ someone I can protect... and she's right here, aboard the _Archangel_." He stood in the darkness, seeing clearly through his unique right eye, and pulled together his equipment. "Okay, Lacus," he whispered. "Hang on. I don't trust ZAFT... but you're even worse off here, with people like Natarle Badgiruel around."

The hatch slid open at a touch, and the soldier slipped noiselessly from the compartment.

* * *

Kira, too, had come to a decision; and as a result, he and Lacus were skulking through the ship's nearly abandoned corridors, heading for the pilots' locker room. 

Like Kevin, he'd been very disturbed by Natarle Badgiruel's tactics, and the revelation that Lacus was Athrun's fiancé had been the clincher: it was no longer safe for Lacus to remain aboard the _Archangel_. He knew that the officers would never approve it, and he might end up in very hot water over it, but he had no choice.

Unfortunately, it developed that the corridors were not_ quite_ abandoned: as the pair drifted silently through the passage, Sai and Mir rounded the corner ahead.

Kira urgently motioned for Lacus to get behind a structural support, and he stood in front of her as his classmates came into view.

"You're up late," Sai commented, eyebrows raised.

"Couldn't sleep?" Mir asked.

"Yeah, something like that," Kira replied, wishing his friends would go away before they saw too much. "I decided to take a walk, see if I could burn off some energy."

"I see. Well, then-"

Mir broke off, eyes wide, and the young pilot glanced behind him to see Lacus coming out of hiding. He stifled a groan.

"Uh, Kira..." Sai began.

"Please, don't interfere," Kira pleaded. "Just go back and forget you saw anything." He clenched a fist. "I just... I just can't let this go on, okay?"

The other two exchanged glances, and then Sai nodded. "We'll help."

* * *

Very shortly, Kira and Lacus were in the locker room, getting outfitted, while Sai and Mir stood guard outside, watching for any approaches. 

They also talked in low tones. "So, do you think Kuzzey's right?" Sai said quietly. "About the pilot of the Aegis being a friend of theirs?"

Mir shrugged. "If that's what he heard, then I guess he is. But I really don't think it's anything to worry about, Sai. Remember, Blade _hates_ ZAFT; this must be hurting him, but he won't turn on us. And Kira's, well, _Kira._"

He sighed. "I guess you're right." They settled back to wait and watch.

Unfortunately for their peace of mind, there was one person aboard who could sneak through an open field at high noon.

"Going somewhere?" came the soft, cool voice.

They both nearly jumped out of their skins. The black-clad young man had simply coalesced out of the shadows, and now he stood, blocking one end of the corridor, expression unreadable.

Sai swallowed. There was no doubt Kevin Walker was on their side, but what they were doing now might not meet with his approval. And given that, of every man and woman aboard the _Archangel_, only the Blade's psychomotor responses defied belief, if he chose to oppose them, this attempt to get Lacus to safety was doomed.

Then Kevin smiled slightly. "Relax, will you? You merely happen to have beaten me to the punch; recall how little I approve of hostage-taking." He glanced at the locker room hatch. "So Kira's getting Lacus out? Good for him... and I'm coming along."

Mir, who had relaxed at his words, raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that the more of us there are in this, the more chance the security systems will notice something."

He snorted. "Not likely. I have... a way with computers -not to mention a little inside information about the _Archangel_'s software- and right now, the security computers are seeing recorded footage from half an hour ago. Nobody will notice anything."

Sai stared at him for a moment. _So Blade's helping out? That's... odd. I thought he hated ZAFT so much that he... Well, to be sure, he's never said anything against the _PLANTs_, and he and Lacus seem to go way back, so I guess it sort of makes sense. But I just can't see him as some kind of paladin._

At last, he simply burst out laughing.

Kevin tilted his head, eyes curious behind the sunglasses. "What's so funny?"

Sai shook his head. "Oh, nothing, really," he said when he caught his breath. "It's just... All you need is a sword to complete the image."

The warrior looked at him silently. Then, deciding to throw caution to the winds just this once, he drew an imaginary rapier and struck a fencing pose, blade extended at arm's length.

The seemingly out of character action caused Mir to chuckle; but at the same time, she found something eerily familiar in the stance. Though not as into fencing as Mu La Flaga, she had seen some, and there was something about that posture...

Then the hatch opened, and Kira and Lacus exited. She wore a spacesuit, and he his flight suit. Both seemed surprised at Kevin's presence.

"Blade?" Kira asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting Lacus out of here before somebody else gets a bright idea," the soldier said simply. "And escorting you out. Shall we go?"

* * *

The mysterious soldier's hacking programs, set in place to aid in their unofficial mission, were almost all in readiness by the time they reached the hanger. But not _everything_ was ready. "You guys go on ahead," he said calmly. "There's something else I need to do." 

Kira looked at him curiously and shrugged. "Whatever you say. We'll be waiting; just make sure you get the locks open before anybody realizes what's happening."

"Easy. Now go."

Once the other four were safely out of sight, Kevin stepped to a computer panel, reached into his jacket, and withdrew a peculiar device that appeared to be some kind of adapter. Without pausing, he connected it to the panel, pressed his hand against it, and closed his eyes... and numbers began to scroll behind his right eye...

By the time he caught up with the group, Kira was already in the Strike's cockpit, and Lacus was just entering. "Thank you very much," she said to Sai. "I hope we'll meet again someday."

He smiled, looking slightly sad. "I'm not so sure we will." He turned his attention to Kira. "Kira?"

The Coordinator looked up from his launch preparations. "Hm?"

"You'll be coming back, won't you?"

The unexpected question caught Kira by surprise. "What?"

"You'll be coming back, right?" Sai pressed. "Back to us."

Kira looked at him for several moments, emotions warring within him as he considered the question. He hadn't really thought about it; and it certainly hadn't occurred to him that he might _not_ come back. But now that he _did_ think about it...

Yet there was only one answer, and he knew it. "Of course," he said finally, smiling. "You know I will."

"If you're through asking questions to which you know the answers," Kevin said dryly, drifting past on his way to his own red-and-black-striped GINN, "I suggest you get out of here before someone notices you. Kira and I will take the risks from here on."

Both cockpits sealed, and the two mobile suits began moving for the catapults... just as Kojiro Murdoch entered the hanger. "Huh? Hey! You're not supposed to be leaving!"

The GINN ignored him completely, but Kira hit his external speakers. _"Please, clear the area. I'm opening the hatch."_

The pair of rogue machines stepped into the catapults, leaving consternation and alarms in their wake.

* * *

On the Bridge, Ramius turned to her crew. "What's going on?" She was not yet alarmed; merely puzzled. 

"They're taking off!" Badgiruel reported, sounding very surprised; there was no need to explain which "they" she was referring to. "Kira Yamato, Kevin Walker- what are you _doing?"_

_"Give it up, Ensign,"_ La Flaga advised, appearing on one of the monitors._ "Those two are getting the girl out, and it's too late to stop them; the catapults are already open."_

"Are they crazy?" Badgiruel looked up at Ramius. "What do they think they're _doing?"_

"Frankly," Ramius said slowly, "I'm not that surprised to see them doing this; Blade in particular. You saw how Miss Clyne greeted him. In fact, I'm more surprised that he didn't try this sooner." She shrugged. "And let me guess: someone's hacked the computers, leaving us with no clue how they pulled it off."

_"You're right, Captain,"_ La Flaga answered, sounding equally unsurprised._ "No doubt it was Blade; but we'll never prove it."_

"Which means, of course," she murmured, "that it's out of our hands. Well, Lieutenant, you should at least launch; try and cover them when they return."

Ramius did not permit herself to contemplate the possibility that they _wouldn't_ return.

* * *

On the Bridge of the _Vesalius_, the launch of two mobile suits from the "legged ship" did not go unnoticed. "Two mobile suits launching from enemy ship," a crewman reported. "Positively ID'd as the Strike and the stolen GINN."

Le Creuset frowned. "Just what could they be up to...?"

"Receiving a transmission from the Strike," someone else called. "Audio only."

The commander leaned back. "All right, put it on."

Kira Yamato's voice quickly came through the speakers. _"Attention, ZAFT warship. This is the X105 Strike. My mission is peaceful: I am bringing Lacus Clyne to you. She will be given over to you on two conditions: that you cut your engines, and that we be met only by the pilot of the Aegis."_ He paused, and his voice became slightly harder. _"If these demands are not met, I cannot guarantee her safety."_

"What do we do, Commander?" Ades asked quietly. "If she's really aboard..."

"GINN has gone passive, Sir," the sensor man reported. "All emissions blanked; we've lost it."

"Inconsequential," Invictus opined from his usual place his employer's side. "That machine won't have Miss Clyne aboard; I know how that pilot operates."

"Which leaves us with the matter of the Strike," Le Creuset mused.

His thoughts were interrupted as Athrun's face appeared on one screen. _"Commander, let me go out there, please."_

The masked man tilted his head. "Are you certain?"

"We haven't even confirmed that Miss Clyne is aboard it," Ades argued. "It could be a trap."

_"It isn't,"_ Athrun insisted._ "Please, Commander; I'm willing to take the risk."_

Le Creuset considered it a moment longer, then shrugged. "Very well, then. You've permission."

Athrun looked relieved. _"Thank you very much, sir."_

"Commander?" Ades questioned.

The commander smiled thinly. "Think about it, Ades. That pilot is clearly quite naive; this may also be a chance for us." He pushed out of his chair. "Cut engines, Ades, and prepare my CGUE for launch."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"This might actually work," Kevin muttered to Kira across a short-range communications cable. "On the other hand, I know Le Creuset's reputation; he might be plotting something." In actual fact, he was fairly certain of it. 

"Athrun wouldn't do that," Kira argued. "Not with Lacus involved."

"Sure. But that doesn't mean the good commander wouldn't do it without _telling_ him about it, now does it?" The sandy-haired pilot shook his head. "Just keep your eyes open, tovarisch; and I'll stay quiet."

As the X303 Aegis neared them, Kevin was uncertain if Athrun actually knew the GINN was out there. After all, it currently had no active emissions, it was difficult to see, and even its thermal signature was small. No doubt the _Vesalius_ knew, but they might not have thought to tell their pilot.

As it happened, they had not; and Athrun had eyes only for the Strike as he slowed to a stop relative to the Earth Forces machine. "All right," he radioed. "I'm here."

"Athrun Zala?" Kira queried, just to be certain.

"Yes."

"Open your cockpit!" he ordered, bringing his beam rifle to bear.

Athrun quickly complied, concerned only for his fiancé's safety, and peered out across the gulf of the void. He could see the Strike's open cockpit now, and the two figures within, but he couldn't tell who they were from this distance.

Kira had already thought of this problem. "Say something," he said to Lacus. At her questioning look, he went on, "He can't see your face from here; he has to be convinced it's really you."

"Oh, I understand." Lacus turned to look out, and waved. "Hello there, Athrun! It's very nice to see you again!"

Athrun smiled broadly in relief. "I confirm it's Lacus!"

"Then prepare to receive her."

Kira gave the "pink princess" a gentle shove, propelling her across to the Aegis, where Athrun caught her. Safely at the red machine's hatch, she looked back at her rescuer. "Thank you for everything you've done, Mr. Yamato! And Athrun, you as well." Then she remembered one other person who had aided her. "Be careful, Kevin! Please stay alive! I don't ever want to see you dead again!"

The GINN's cockpit opened, and Kevin nodded solemnly. "I'll be fine, Lacus. And we might even meet again someday."

Athrun stood there for a moment, gaze wandering between the Strike and the stolen GINN, and came to a decision. He had to try one more time to get his friends onto the side where they belonged. "Kira, Kevin! You come along with us, too! There isn't any reason for either of you to remain with the Earth Forces!"

Kira's eyes widened, and he flinched, thinking. _"You'll be coming back, won't you? Back to us?"_

_"You didn't make any serious attempt to fight, did you? It's because _you're_ a Coordinator too!"_

"I'm counting on you!"

The brown haired pilot finally shook his head. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is fight against you." His voice grew stronger. "But there are people on that ship whom I fell obligated to protect." His verniers boosted him backwards. _"My friends are on that ship!"_

Kevin's reaction was far less sanguine. His own beam rifle snapped into position, and he fired a shot just past the Aegis' head, close enough for Athrun to feel the heat. "Don't ever ask me that again, old friend," he said in a voice colder than the vacuum of space. "Because if you do, the next shot _won't _miss."

Athrun felt despair rising within him. "You don't understand!" he pleaded. "Do I have to lose you guys, too? I already lost my mom in the Bloody Valentine!"

Blade froze, startled despite himself. He recalled the Bloody Valentine very well, having witnessed the epic battle there. The Earth Forces had been soundly trounced, forced into retreat by ZAFT's superior firepower... but not before the _Roosevelt_'s mobile armors had gotten off a nuclear missile.

Still, his mind was made up, his heart pitiless as he contemplated the organization that had caused him so much misery. "_You_ don't understand, Athrun," he said coldly. "You have no conception of what's happened to me... and you have no right whatsoever to ask us to betray those who trust us with their lives. And think about this: could _you_ trust us, if we so easily betrayed our own?"

Athrun closed his eyes in pain. "Then I've got no choice," he whispered. "The next time we meet in battle, I'll show you no mercy!"

"Same goes for me," Kira replied, equally pained.

Kevin merely closed up his cockpit and turned away. "If you think a mere Coordinator such as yourself can kill me, Athrun," he said softly, "you are welcome to try."

Athrun, as confused as Kira by that remark, sealed up his machine with Lacus inside and jetted off toward the _Vesalius._

And that was when Rau Le Creuset made his move.

"Now, start up the engines, Ades," he ordered, launching in his CGUE.

The _Archangel_'s Bridge noticed instantly. "The _Nazca_ has restarted its engines, Ma'am!"

"Lieutenant La Flaga?" Ramius asked quickly.

_"I'm already on it,"_ the mobile armor pilot answered._ "Though I'm not too sure what I can do against_ that."

Kilometers away, Le Creuset's personal CGUE, a more advanced machine than Blade's stolen GINN, blasted past the Aegis. "Commander?" Athrun called, surprised.

"Athrun, return to the ship with Miss Clyne at once!" the masked man ordered, course never deviating.

"This isn't good," Kevin muttered, bringing his weapons systems fully online. "Kira, buddy, we seem to have a small problem."

"Oh, you noticed?" La Flaga cut in sarcastically. "Did you really think they'd just sit back and watch?"

"Not me," the soldier conceded. "Still, a guy can hope, can't he?"

It had all the makings of a pitched battle, but one Lacus Clyne had other plans. Reaching past a startled Athrun, she keyed the Aegis' radio. "Commander Rau Le Creuset!" she said sharply. "Are you really intending to turn this place into a battlefield, right in front of a memorial representative such as myself?"

"Miss Clyne," Le Creuset began, "this may not be the best-"

"Commander," she said forcefully, "I am _ordering_ you to break off this attack at once. Do you understand?"

The masked man cursed to himself. _What a time for that girl's naiveté to show itself! But I suppose there isn't much choice... and there's always tomorrow._

"Very well, Miss Clyne," he said, resigned. "We're breaking off."

The three _Archangel_ pilots, only one of whom had heard the exchange (and he only via the GINN's decryption systems; evidently ZAFT had not yet gotten around to changing the codes) stared at the suddenly retreating enemy forces. What had just occurred...?

"Not sure what just happened, but... we're retreating, too," La Flaga ordered, leading the two mobile suits in a course reversal.

"Roger that," Kevin replied, a trace of genuine satisfaction in his voice.

Kira was curiously silent, and La Flaga frowned. "What? Is something the matter?"

"No," the Coordinator replied through unshed tears. "There's nothing wrong at all."

Two mobile suits and a mobile armor retreated through space, one pilot confused, one in something akin to shock... and one in satisfaction, mixed with sadness at the thought of having to kill a former friend.

* * *

Author's note: Covered a lot of ground here. More hints of Kevin Walker's past emerge, and his final break with Athrun comes closer. 

Daniel Lynx, you now know Kevin's reaction to threatening his friends; this will not be the last time he nears the brink of mayhem over such matters.

Bigronnie17, thanks for the information. As my pen name indicates, I am indeed a Metal Gear fan. Admittedly, I couldn't really care less about an updated version of MGS3, and I have little more interest in online gaming; but MGS4 appears interesting, indeed.

There doesn't seem to be much to say this time. Just read it and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	7. Chapter 7: Bursting SEEDs

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Kevin Walker's expression was suitably blank as a pair of security men escorted him to the Captain's office. He wasn't sure what the two felt about the actions that had brought about this court martial (his empathic sense allowed him to read the presences of zoanthropes and people he knew very well; and he could only read the emotions of zoanthropes), but he also didn't particularly care. If the Captain chose to discipline him for his actions, that was her choice; he feared it not at all. There was, after all, no possible way she could do anything worse than that which had already happened to him. 

The escort stopped outside the hatch, and he stepped in alone. Waiting for him were Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga, and Natarle Badgiruel, all in full uniform; even the Hawk of Endymion wore a cap.

Their expressions were interesting to observe. Of the three, only Ramius was inscrutable; Badgiruel looked _very_ disapproving, whereas La Flaga appeared downright amused. He also held a regulations book, evidently for the purpose of finding which regulations contradicted which. _Obviously,_ Kevin thought, _the good Lieutenant is the defense attorney; he's enjoying himself too much to be prosecution._

"This court martial is now in session," Ramius announced coolly. "Acting-Crewman Kevin Walker, Lieutenant La Flaga will serve as your counsel, while Ensign Badgiruel acts as prosecution."

Kevin's gaze never flickered behind the sunglasses. "Thank you, Captain," he said calmly. "But I have no need of an attorney. I believe myself quite capable of defending myself."

All three officers blinked at that; then Badgiruel's eyes narrowed, La Flaga looked suspiciously like he was suppressing an anticipatory grin, and Ramius leaned back in her chair. "Very well, then, Mr. Walker. If you would care to begin, Ensign Badgiruel?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Badgiruel looked at the enigmatic pilot as if he were a lower form of life. "Acting-Crewman Walker, you stand accused of tampering with the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship _Archangel_'s computers, theft of Earth Forces property, and aiding and abetting the escape of a prisoner of war. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"I would say yes, Ensign," he said, still calm. "But I see nothing against which to defend myself. I do, however, have several clarifications to make."

"Oh, this should be interesting," La Flaga said in a stage whisper; the black-haired ensign's glare stifled him.

"First," Kevin began, "you have no evidence whatsoever of my having tampered with the _Archangel_'s computers." He said this in a confident voice, leading Ramius to wonder how he knew, not realizing that his methods _never_ left evidence. "Second, if you are referring to the ZGMF-1017 GINN stored aboard this ship, the charge of theft is not applicable. As is entered in this vessel's records, that machine was captured by myself during the battle in Heliopolis, and I have never surrendered it to the Earth Forces. I fly it in defense of this ship, but it is, as the legal authorities have recognized, my personal property."

Ramius considered him for several moments. "Point taken," she said finally. "The charge of theft is dismissed. Anything further?"

"Yes." Still speaking in that calm, emotionless tone, Kevin looked directly at Badgiruel. "As to the final charge and specification, it, too, is invalid; Lacus Clyne, as is also entered into the log, was not a prisoner of war. She was, as the Captain will remember she herself said, a rescued civilian, a guest. Therefore, and particularly in light of the fact that Miss Clyne is _not_ an Earth Alliance citizen, you had no legal basis on which to restrict her movements. And," he added, voice suddenly very cold, "I might point out that according to your own regulations, Ensign Badgiruel's actions during that last battle were illegal; hostage-taking is not permitted under any circumstances."

Badgiruel glared at him. "As was discussed during Acting-Crewman Yamato's court martial, I believe this falls under the heading of necessary actions taken during extraordinary circumstances."

"Garbage," he said succinctly. "'Under no circumstances', Ensign, is a very clear statement. And you also neglected the fact that what you did was one of the most loathsome and immoral acts I can imagine."

"You're one to talk!" she snarled suddenly. "You have, by your own admission, killed over three hundred people, Mr. Walker! At least all _I_ did was point out to the enemy the potential consequences of continuing battle; you _massacre _your enemies!"

"Don't judge me, Ensign," Kevin said very, very coldly. "You have no right to judge me." Raising a hand, he took off his sunglasses, and wiped his face with the other, removing the makeup that had long concealed what lay hidden there.

Badgiruel could not stifle a gasp as the true face of Kevin Walker was revealed at last. There was a jagged scar just to the right of his nose, running from his hairline down to the base of his jaw, bisecting his face. Apparently the result of an explosion, it gave his face an even more mature, and slightly sinister, look. "What on earth...?"

"If you knew even a fraction of what this cursed war has already cost me, Ensign," the soldier said very softly, "you would have nightmares for the next fifty years. _I_ still have them, and will to my dying day. I have undergone trials that would terrify the most hardened soldier, that would have _killed _a lesser man. So _don't... judge... me."_

Even Ramius and La Flaga were badly shaken by that glimpse at the torment in Kevin Walker's heart; it was only with an effort that the Captain brought the discussion -and her attention- back to the matter at hand. "In any case," she managed finally, "I believe we have determined the merits of this case. The charge of computer tampering is dropped due to lack of evidence; the charge of theft is dropped due to its illegitimacy; and the charge of aiding and abetting the escape of a prisoner of war is likewise dropped for the aforementioned reason." She shrugged, then actually smiled at the pilot. "Dismissed, Mr. Walker."

* * *

After Kevin had stepped out, Ramius fully dropped the "Captain's face". "Well," she said to her fellows, "_that_ was interesting." 

"You can say that again," Badgiruel muttered.

"Must have been a lawyer in his past life," La Flaga opined with a grin. "And you know, he was right; and if Kira had thought of it, we wouldn't have been able to give _him_ a warning, either."

"It _was_ well done," the Captain agreed. "I hadn't thought of it quite that way, myself." She shuddered suddenly. "But you know, I really don't think I want to know what he was talking about at the end, there. We've both seen him shoot people without a second thought; the idea of something being so horrifying as to give _him_ nightmares...!"

The Hawk shrugged. "Well, however good he is at killing people, Captain, he _is_ still a human being. Well, maybe not physically," he amended, remembering a certain security video, and his cryptic comment about having never claimed to be. "But his mind is human, and there have to be _some_ things that bother him. Unless, of course, he's a sociopath."

"Which," Badgiruel conceded unwillingly, "he obviously isn't. A sociopath wouldn't have risked himself like that to get Miss Clyne out."

"That's true," Ramius agreed. "And I think I need to work on my 'Captain's face'; I had him scared for all of, oh, no time."

"One cool cadaver," La Flaga said, nodding. "And one with a death wish."

The other two glanced at him in surprise at the non sequitur. "What are you talking about, Lieutenant?" the Captain asked. "I mean, I know he's been depressed lately, but..."

"Take it from me, Captain, that kid -no, that _young man_- is _not_ exactly chipper right now. Something in his eyes tells me that right now, death would be welcome to him." He shrugged slowly. "I don't know what happened to him, or what he's done, but it's bad enough that he really doesn't care if he lives or dies. Or rather," he corrected himself, "he doesn't care... _after_ he reaches his next destination, whatever it is. He's a man with a mission, but as long as it's accomplished, he doesn't care if he dies in the doing."

"That... would be a real shame," Ramius said slowly. "He hides it well, but deep down, Kevin Walker is a very kind young man. It would be a great tragedy to lose him." She shook her head. "But I don't see what can be done about it. I suppose it's up to him."

"Him... and whoever it is that he's looking for," La Flaga murmured. "I don't think it's just revenge that he's after..."

* * *

On the _Vesalius_, Athrun Zala raised a hand just in time to catch the caroming pink ball that was headed directly for his face. 

It was, of course, Haro. Which meant, of course, that a certain someone was wandering the corridors. Again.

"Lacus?" he called.

Lacus came drifting around the bend in the passageway. "Oh, I'm sorry, Athrun. Haro was wandering around again, wasn't he?"

Handing the eccentric robot back to its owner, Athrun stifled a sigh. "Lacus, I'm more concerned about _you_ wandering around. This _is_ a warship, after all; it's not exactly safe to be wandering all over the place. And I'm sure you need some rest," he added, guiding her back to the quarters set aside for her. "I'm sure it was hard for you, being on that Earth Forces ship. The way they must have treated you..."

Lacus shook her head. "It wasn't like that at all, Athrun. Mr. Yamato in particular was very kind; and of course Kevin looked out for me."

"They're both fools," he said angrily. "They're just being used, but they justify it; something about-" He broke off. "Wait a second. What do you mean 'of course' he looked after you? You _know_ Kevin?"

"Of course I do!" She smiled in fond memory. "Kevin and I have been close ever since we were little; he never stayed long in the PLANTs, of course, but we saw each other quite often. I'm very fond of him, and I was very happy to see him alive; we all thought he was dead."

Athrun gaped. "Dead? 'Very fond of him'? Lacus, how do you know Kevin? He's just a student from Orb, that's all; I wouldn't have thought you'd have even _met_ him, let alone..."

Lacus smiled oddly. "I don't think I should tell you exactly how I know him; he seems to have gone to a great deal of trouble to conceal his true identity. But he is far, far more than a mere student, Athrun. Perhaps someday he will reclaim his birthright, but for now..." She shrugged, and her expression turned serious. "However we met, I have known Kevin for many years, Athrun, and I do not believe it is at all possible for him to be manipulated; he is far too strong-willed for that. And I also think he would notice if a friend as close as Mr. Yamato were being 'used'. No, Athrun, Kevin has his own reasons for his actions, whatever they may be; they certainly are not reasons pressed upon him by others."

"But, Lacus-" he began.

"Athrun," she interrupted, "you should know that he nearly killed people for my sake, during that last battle." Her usual apparent naiveté seemed completely in abeyance. "Had the Ensign attempted what she threatened -something I do _not_ hold against her- I have little doubt he _would_ have done so. Also... there are dark places is his heart now. Dark places, and a hatred of ZAFT. I would suggest that you consider what could make him hate our forces so much."

"Lacus, I don't understand..."

"Please, Athrun. Just think about it."

Before the discussion could go further, a metallic-tinged voice spoke. "If you don't mind, Mr. Zala, I'll get Miss Clyne settled in."

Athrun spun, surprised by the voice. "Invictus!"

Indeed, it was the armored assassin who stood at the hatch. "I don't mean to intrude," he said in his flat, toneless voice, "but I believe there are matters Miss Clyne and I should discuss, while we have the chance; I'm leaving for the _Gamow_ within the hour." He shrugged. "As I said, I don't wish to intrude; but if you have no objection..."

Lacus was watching the faceless man carefully. "It's all right, Athrun," she said finally. "I believe Mister... Invictus, isn't it?... and I _do_ have matters to discuss. If you would excuse us?"

Now _very_ confused, Athrun shrugged. "Very well, then. If you'll excuse me..." he stepped through the hatch, then looked back. "And I _will_ think about it, Lacus. Even if I don't understand it."

The hatch sealed, and Lacus turned her full attention to the assassin. "You seem very familiar, Invictus. May I assume there is a reason for that, as well as for your desire to speak with me?"

Invictus nodded. "There is indeed... Lacus." He touched his helmet, and the faceplate cleared, revealing the sandy hair and jade eyes. "As I said, we have things to discuss."

"Yes," she agreed, eyes wide. "I believe we do..."

* * *

"Well, well. Glad you could join us, assassin." 

Two hours later, on the _Gamow_, the assassin ignored the sarcastic remark as he entered the Bridge. Invictus and Yzak Joule had detested each other since their first meeting, two weeks earlier; this was hardly the first time they'd clashed. _He's got guts, I'll grant him that,_ the armored man thought, leaning against the bulkhead. _Most ZAFT pilots are scared to death of me; but I suppose if this crew were that easily intimidated, they wouldn't be with the Le Creuset team._

All three of the _Gamow_'s G-pilots were present, for a meeting called by Yzak. "So how about you tell us all what's going on, Joule," Invictus said coolly. "I presume there is a point besides telling me I'm late?"

Yzak smirked. "Of course. See, we've got the trail of the legged ship again; and with Miss Lacus Clyne no longer a factor, we can take it out at our leisure."

The assassin folded his arms. "Something tells me, Joule, that _you_ would have been happy to attack the ship even _with_ Miss Clyne aboard. In which case, I would have killed you."

Dearka Elsman chuckled at the cold remark, but the temptation to laugh died as the mystery man lightly touched the katana hilt over his shoulder. "Well," he said hastily, "she _isn't_ on board, so we can concentrate on the matter at hand."

"Right," Yzak agreed. "That ship's been giving us trouble from Day One, so _I_ say it's time to take it out... permanently. We'll have caught up with it within the hour, so now's our chance."

"There's one problem," Nicol Amalfi pointed out. "They've nearly reached the rendezvous point with their Eighth Fleet; as it is, we'll have only ten minutes before we have to break off. After all, even our new machines can't handle an entire fleet without support."

"I would suggest that the cowards keep their traps shut," Yzak said contemptuously.

"Yeah," Dearka agreed. "_I_ say we have ten _whole_ minutes."

"Right. Is it only ten minutes, or is it a full ten minutes? It's all in how you look at it, really."

"He's not a coward, Joule," Invictus said quietly. "Moreover, unlike you bloodthirsty hotshots, he's _right_. The Eighth Fleet will eat you for breakfast if you get too close."

Yzak snorted. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the big, bad assassin; the one who could accomplish any mission, anywhere."

"I didn't get this far by ignoring the risks, Joule." He straightened, cracking his neck. "You don't survive by ignoring the odds this way; and need I remind you that the Strike has fought you to a standstill in every battle you've fought? Even in the first, he eventually blew your Duel's arm off, Joule; and from Zala's reports, he's gotten a whole lot better since. Then, at Artemis, he covered the legged ship's escape; and did so without gettinga scratch on him."

"That first time, _we_ were still getting the hang of these machines ourselves," Dearka pointed out. "And at Artemis, he only faced the Blitz. Now, with all of us together, we can beat him."

"Aren't you forgetting one variable?" Invictus tapped the computer display. "Your plans -such as they are- are based upon scenarios where only the Strike and the Hawk of Endymion's Moebius Zero are involved. You are neglecting the fact that the legged ship also has in its possession a captured GINN, now re-equipped with what seem to be spare beam weapons for the Strike. That is also a force to be reckoned with."

Dearka snorted. "Hah! It's only a GINN; these new machines can blow those away easy. And I know the pilot. He's just a well-read, body-building drifter; nothing _we_ need to worry about."

"On the contrary, Elsman, you should be _very_ worried about that pilot."

Nicol looked at the armored man curiously; he seemed to be the only one to take him seriously. "You know him, sir?"

"In a manner of speaking." Invictus shrugged. "Suffice it to say that I have access to more intelligence on this fellow than the rest of you. Believe me, if _he_ were piloting the Strike, we could conceivably be worse off than we already are. I can't be certain, of course; our data on his piloting skills is limited to observational data from recent battles. But in other respects it is unequivocal: if this battle were being fought on foot, Kevin Walker would kill all of us... probably without even breaking a sweat."

"You're kidding," Dearka said instantly. Then he paused. "...aren't you?"

The assassin gazed at him levelly. "No."

"What is he?" Yzak demanded. "Some kind of super commando?"

"In a manner of speaking," he said again. "Most data is classified, but one datum you may use as a guide is the fact that he was once known as Crimson Tiger."

All three pilots looked suddenly more thoughtful. "Oh," Yzak said softly. But he still shook his head. "Still, we can't afford to pass up this opportunity; and in the absence of both Commander Le Creuset _and_ our senior pilot" and the fact that Athrun Zala flew the dedicated command machine still rankled "_I_ make the decision. And I say: go."

"Very well, then," Nicol said, bowing to the inevitable but still uneasy.

"Fine," Invictus said simply, heading for the hatch. "If you're that determined to excessively risk your lives, that's your business."

* * *

Battle was not on Kevin Walker's mind as he headed for the _Archangel_'s cafeteria, completely oblivious to the existence of his physical duplicate tens of thousands of kilometers away. He was, instead, enjoying a private little victory, one which very few people could possibly have understood the full significance of. 

_We did it, Kira,_ the soldier thought in profound satisfaction._ We got Lacus out, and we didn't even get punished for it. _He'd heard Kira had merely gotten a warning... whereas their accomplices had gotten head-cleaning duty for a week._ Not, of course, that punishment would have bothered me much; what could a civilized human being like Murrue Ramius do to me that could possibly be worse than the things Oracle did?_

Sai raised an eyebrow when Kevin entered. "_You're_ looking better than I've seen you lately; did you just watch a massacre or something?"

The black-clad youth ran a hand through his ragged sandy hair and barked a laugh. "Just pleased with myself, Sai, that's all. Even _I_ can't be depressed after pulling off a neat operation like that; and for a close friend, no less." He reverted to his usual calm demeanor. "And as for your little joke, Sai, I believe you're operating under a mistaken impression. Just because I'm _good_ at killing doesn't make me enjoy it."

"Makes you sick, huh?" Mir suggested.

"No," Kevin said slowly, "it actually doesn't. Mir, what you have to understand is that killing is something that gets easier every time you do it. I don't especially like that fact, but it _is_ one; and that after you've been through as much as I have, as many battles, you don't really feel much about it at all."

"Glad I'm leaving once we reach Earth, then," Kira said, walking in. "I'm not a soldier; I _don't_ want to get that experienced at killing people."

"Kira," Blade said, sipping a glass of water, "I don't blame you a bit."

And that was when Flay Allster walked in.

In that instant, Kevin Walker might have been made of stone, freezing into a stillness so complete he could easily have been mistaken for a piece of furniture; a trick he'd picked up during his wilderness years, and a habit he fell into whenever he was startled or concerned.

In this case, he was both. So far as he knew, Flay hadn't noticed his presence when she railed at Kira the previous day, but given everything that had happened, Kevin was not certain she would be in her right mind just now. As it later developed, he was right; but at this point in time, everything seemed normal.

Mostly.

"Flay!" Sai began, standing and walking over to her.

Flay ignored him, heading straight for the pair of Coordinators. "Um, Kira, Kevin...?"

"Flay?" Kira acknowledged, more than a little bemused.

"I want to apologize," she said abruptly. "To both of you. I know I never said anything to _you,_ Kevin, but I did threaten your friend..."

"Forget it, Flay," the soldier said simply. "The past is past. And under the circumstances, I can't really say that I blame you."

"Thank you. But still... The things that I said..." Flay hung her head. "Kira, I shouldn't have said those things to you. I know you were doing your best out there, that there was nothing more that you could have done... and you _did_ protect the _Archangel_, just like you always do. So I just want you to know... I'm behind you both, all the way. I'll support you."

Kevin nodded fractionally, expression about as compassionate as it ever got; Kira also nodded, but glanced away. "Flay, I'm sorry I couldn't save your father..."

Something flickered in her eyes, unnoticed, but then she smiled. "You did what you could, Kira. I just wish this war would end as quickly as possible."

He finally looked up, and smiled back. "I agree."

_So do I,_ the mystery man thought._ But not until I've killed certain people... like Patrick Zala._

Then the alarms went off.

* * *

"What's going on?" Ramius demanded. 

"Radar interference," Pal responded. "N-jammer levels increasing. Searching... one _Laurasia_-class detected, closing fast."

Badgiruel cursed. "And just moments before our rendezvous!" She shook herself. "Captain?"

Ramius merely nodded, and hit an intercom switch. "All hands to Level One Battlestations! Pilots, to your machines!" She paused, looking down into CIC. "Blade's GINN _is_ working for once, right?"

Badgiruel consulted the computers. "Yes, Ma'am; looks like he at least managed not to run into anything while he was AWOL."

"Good. Then have Mr. Murdoch get it ready, too."

* * *

"I," Kevin Walker said to no one in particular, strapping into his cockpit, "am getting very, very tired of having my meals interrupted." He keyed his radio. "Kira, you and the Lieutenant up?" 

"I'm ready, Blade," Kira answered.

"Everything checks out," La Flaga echoed. "Bridge?"

_"All right, then,"_ Ramius replied._ "Launch when ready."_

The two mobile suits and mobile armor made their way into the catapults. _"Kira,"_ Mir called, _"the ZAFT forces are a _Laurasia_-class, the Duel, the Buster, and the Blitz."_

"Those three again," Kira muttered, resigned. _He_ was getting tired of facing off against that trio over and over again... though at least it was better than having to fight Athrun again, something which he was fairly sure he'd have to do someday.

Kevin cracked his neck and leaned back, preparing himself for battle. As usual, he allowed a wall to arise between his conscious mind and his emotions, permitting the cool detachment which had served him well through so many battles. It was training he'd received long before, during the most hated time of his life. Hated, yet useful; he felt no shame in using the skills the arrogant bastards had given him. It was only fitting that ZAFT should reap what they had sown, after all...

The Moebius Zero moved forward into the port catapult. "Mu La Flaga, launching!"

Kira hit the last few switches in the sequence. "Kira Yamato, launching!"

The stolen GINN replaced the Strike in the starboard catapult. "This is Blade. Now engaging." He was pushed back into his seat by the ferocious G-forces of the electromagnetic catapult.

It was the first time the three disparate machines had launched together, in one wave, and it was perhaps the most bizarre formation ever flown off an Earth Forces (or any other) vessel. It was also, by virtue of the Strike and the pilots, possibly the most dangerous.

* * *

"Here they come," Nicol murmured, guiding his Blitz in on the legged ship. 

"Yeah," Yzak agreed, grinning. "And today, we destroy the legged ship _and_ the Strike! We won't have to chase after them anymore."

"Right." Dearka smiled in anticipation. "All they've got is the Strike, a GINN, and a mobile armor. Piece of cake, eh?"

_Overconfidence,_ thought the assassin known as Invictus. He was watching and monitoring comm traffic from his stealthed shuttle. He did not really see the point of being out here; unlike his employer, he was none too confident that they would actually succeed in destroying the _Archangel._ But, a job was a job, so he'd follow orders... even if it risked exposing his existence to two of the people who must not learn of it.

"Nicol," Yzak began, thinking out there battle plan, "the legged ship is all yours. Dearka, keep that mobile armor and the GINN off us; _I'll_ deal with the Strike."

"Roger that," Nicol acknowledged.

"With pleasure." Dearka was looking forward to repaying Kevin Walker for the pain he'd caused him years earlier. He still didn't know exactly what set the enigmatic young man off, but he didn't really care, either. "Let's go."

"Incoming," La Flaga said tersely. "Blade, Kira, let's go!"

_"The Eighth Fleet will be meeting up with us in a few minutes,"_ Ramius reminded them._ "We need only hold on until then; even _they_ won't attack once we've rendezvoused."_

"That's true," Kevin muttered. "Dearka Elsman is sarcastic and maybe impetuous, but he's not stupid. Okay, let's do this."

The two trios merged as they met, and machines began splitting off. Nicol blazed right past, heading for the _Archangel_; Kevin and La Flaga engaged the Buster; and the Strike faced off with the Duel.

"You're not getting past us, Elsman," Blade hissed, firing off his beam rifle.

"You don't stand a chance!" Dearka retorted, firing gun launcher and beam rifle simultaneously. "You're going down!"

"Not if I can help it!" The Zero's wired gunbarrels deployed, spraying cannon fire at the G-weapon.

Meanwhile, Yzak smiled coldly at the image on his displays. "Strike! Isn't that what you're called? It fits... 'cause you're about to strike out!"

Kira grimaced, juking left to avoid the Duel's introductory blast, and did not deign to reply verbally. He used instead the universal language of war: gunfire.

"Don't you know when to give up, Walker?" Dearka demanded. He was getting annoyed already; that dratted GINN was evading almost everything he threw at it.

Kevin took the next shot on his shield -also one of the Strike's spares- and fired back. "I won't let you kill my friends, Elsman. Not after everything ZAFT has already done to me."

"What are you babbling about?" The Buster snapped its rifles together, and the GINN was forced to dodge to one side as a hyper-impulse blast blew by. "Urgh! Just die already, will you?"

"Sorry; been there already, and I didn't like it."

La Flaga swooped in next, gunbarrels out and firing. "Take _this!"_

"You're just a puny mobile armor," Dearka muttered, turning to engage the Zero, "so get out of my way! Go down!"

One of the gunbarrels was hit, and La Flaga reeled in the remaining three, maneuvering away at the same time. "Doesn't this guy _ever_ give up, Blade?"

"I wouldn't know, Lieutenant," Kevin replied calmly. "About the only other time we met, I tossed him through a wall; I have no idea how long it takes for him to give up in a fair fight." He snapped off another shot; missed. "I do, however, wish he'd just go away."

"Yeah; too bad we're not fighting trench warfare or something." The Hawk wove through space, firing his linear cannon. "Then we could just send _you_ after him."

"I'd settle for being in atmosphere." The younger pilot cursed suddenly; another attack from the Buster had just blown away his beam rifle. "I could probably at least try and board it, then; up here, my... special abilities... are useless."

The Blitz was now en route to its own target, and giving the _Archangel_ fits in the process. They were already busy having a slugging match with the _Gamow_; now they had to deal with one of their own former machines coming straight at them.

Then it got worse: the Blitz vanished.

"Captain, I've lost the Blitz!" Tonomura called, hurriedly checking all his instruments.

Ramius was unfazed. "It's gone under Mirage Colloid," she said calmly. "Fire anti-beam depth charges and anti-air shrapnel warheads."

"Roger," Badgiruel acknowledged. "Fire anti-beam depth charges! Stern missile tubes, switch to anti-air shrapnel warheads!"

"Affirmative!"

Nicol grimaced inside his cockpit, seeing the warheads fast approaching him. Given that he could not evade the attack, he would have to block; and he knew as well as anyone that he would have to drop Mirage Colloid in order to reactivate his Phase-shift. The power consumption demanded it.

"That's right," he said in grudging respect, making the necessary adjustments. "This machine once belonged to you; of course you know its weaknesses."

The now-decloaked Blitz raised its right arm, blocking the barrage of shrapnel with its Trikeros. Unnecessary, of course; the warheads _were,_ after all, kinetic weapons, which Phase-shift rendered effectively useless.

And he did not need to be visible for long; the attack past, he vanished back under Mirage Colloid, leaving the ship once again blind as far as he was concerned.

But this time, Badgiruel had an idea. Seeing the Blitz fire, it occurred to her that she could use the attacks against their originator. "Calculate the Blitz's position from the shot's angle," she ordered. "And disengage Igelstellung auto-tracking; put up a curtain of fire!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

* * *

_This,_ Kevin Walker thought,_ is getting _completely_ out of hand._

The Blitz and the _Gamow_ were both pouring energy fire on the _Archangel_, which he was sure would overwhelm even the carrier's new laminated armor soon enough (after all, even if the armor was immune to beam weapons itself, it still transmitted the heat to the interior; this he knew, having certain inside knowledge of the ship, from past experience); the Strike was now completely occupied with the Duel; and he and La Flaga were pinned down by the Buster.

The fact that the GINN's beam rifle was toast didn't help; naturally, Dearka was now pressing the attack against his weakened opponent and ignoring the effectively impotent Zero -which had, after all, no beam weapons at all- in favor of destroying the one enemy which could currently hurt it.

For Kevin still had his beam _sabers_.

"Why won't you just die?" Dearka demanded, blazing away at his enemy.

"Sorry," Kevin replied easily, "but I'm not quite ready yet. There are still a few more things I need to do, a few more people who need to die. If it helps any, one of them is Earth Forces."

The ZAFT pilot paused. "What?"

"Let's just say he killed someone very important to me." The soldier said nothing more, preferring instead to rush forward, beam saber in hand.

_Come on,_ he thought._ Just a few more minutes... What I'd give to still be Berserker-capable..._

Naturally, the Duel was still dueling with the Strike. By this time, both parties had switched to beam sabers themselves, and were slashing away at each other, neither gaining the upper hand.

Kira was doing far better than in his last encounter with Yzak; in the weeks since, he'd gotten a much better grasp of his machine, and he used that knowledge to dodge, block, and parry every strike that came at him. But it couldn't last forever.

_Archangel_ was having her own problems. The Blitz had succeeded in reaching the so-called "legged ship", and was pounding at her with its Trikeros. He was also in a position where none of the ship's guns could hit him.

Another blast from the _Gamow_ struck the ship. "Heat distribution system can't seem to keep up," Chandra reported. "Armor temperature is reaching dangerous levels!"

Ramius glowered at the displays and began to resign herself to death. "I can't see it lasting more than a couple more hits..."

"Where are our mobile suits?" Badgiruel demanded.

Mir was already reaching for her console. "Kira! Kevin! The enemy is beside the Bridge! Get back here!"

They both heard the frantic call; in Kira's case, the Duel was about to try and cut him to ribbons, whereas the Buster had finally succeeded in landing a hit on the stolen GINN. They both turned to look anyway.

"No..." Kevin whispered. "I can't let this..."

"The _Archangel!"_ Kira's heart seemed to cease beating, and time stopped for him. Faces floated before his mind's eye, and he remembered...

_Flay, after her father's death. "You didn't make any serious attempt to fight, did you? It's because _you're_ a Coordinator too!"_

A little girl, just before the battle, being reassured by Flay. "We're entering another war, but it's fine. Because Kira will be out there; he's fighting to protect us."

"Really?"

Behind Kira's eyes, an amethyst seed burst; and it echoed across space to Kevin Walker's mind, wherein a jade seed came apart.

Two pairs of eyes widened, unnaturally clear, and two mobile suits _moved_.

The GINN spun around Dearka's next attack, which should have blown him away, and continued forward, both beam sabers out. He launched into a fast and furious series of slashes, opening numerous gashes in the G-weapon's armor.

The Duel, meanwhile, was coming right for the Strike. "I've got you this time!" His beam saber came close, close enough to cut his enemy in half... and his enemy was no longer there. The Strike boosted over the Duel's head, coming to a relative stop directly behind it. "He dodged it?"

Now it was Kira's turn to slice down. His beam saber struck deep, cutting through the Phase-shift armor like it didn't exist. Then he was gone, rushing to the _Archangel_'s aid.

Nicol was shooting at the legged ship's superstructure with complete confidence now; he knew nothing could touch him there. And he was wrong... without even seeing it until far, far too late.

"Stop it _now!"_ Kira shouted. He landed where the Blitz had been but a moment before, tossed his beam saber away, and pushed off, slamming the Strike's knee hard into the Blitz's torso.

_That's two out of the fight,_ Kevin thought with even greater detachment._ What of the Duel?_

Yzak was coming up behind Kira. "I've gotcha this time!" Once again, his beam saber came down.

Once again, he missed.

The Strike dodged to the side, and suddenly an Armor Schneider was in its hand. Normally, the weapon would have been useless against PSA... but there was a chunk of PSA missing from the Duel now.

Yzak grunted in surprise as the weapon struck deep into the gash, then pain when his displays exploded in his face, shattering his visor.

The Duel went careening backwards, out of control, to be caught by the Blitz. "Yzak?" Nicol called. "Yzak! Are you okay in there?" He switched frequencies. "Dearka!"

"What is it, Nicol?" Dearka was having his own problems, trying to retreat from this demon his enemy had suddenly become.

"It's Yzak!"

He didn't have to explain. Yzak did so himself. "Urgh, it burns, it burns, _it burns!"_

Dearka cursed. "We've gotta get out of here," he said reluctantly. "Yzak's hurt, and my Buster just got hit by that GINN. Let's retreat before that fleet arrives."

"Right."

The damaged GINN and the Strike touched down on the _Archangel_'s forward deck, both pilots breathing heavily, while the Zero assumed a protective position above the ship. "Look at that, they're gone! You were incredible, kids!"

Kevin did not reply, being more concerned with catching his breath. Kira managed, "Lieutenant..."

La Flaga, in awe of what had just happened, shook his head. "No, you're more than that. You're _unbelievable."_

Kira managed a weak, exhausted chuckle. "Not really."

Then came the most welcome words any of them had heard in days. _"The Eighth Fleet is here!"_

For now, it appeared the worst was over. Little did they know...

* * *

Author's note: Hm. A bit shorter than earlier chapters, I suppose, but not by much. 

So. The Duel has been hammered, Yzak injured, and the Berserkers revealed… and with them, more dark hints of Kevin's past. What other secrets does he hide?

Daniel Lynx, while I'll grant Badgiruel isn't exactly my favorite character either, I never had any intention of having Blade kill her; particularly not there. While, under the circumstances, it might seem appropriate, it would also be _extremely_ awkward. Two main reasons: I have other plans in mind, which require her survival; and also, while Kevin Walker may be something of a super-soldier, even he might be hard pressed to get away with something like that.

I _do_ agree on the subject of Kuzzey's eavesdropping; it irritated me immensely, and I thought this would be about how Kevin would react.

Darthliger, I'm glad you approve. I believe later chapters shan't disappoint.

I believe that's all I really need to say here. Thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you thought of this chapter. -Solid Shark


	8. Chapter 8: Respite

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Kevin Walker sighed and leaned back in his chair in the quarters he occupied on the _Archangel_. It had been a long trip from Heliopolis to Earth, but it was nearly over. 

Only two hours before, the ship had rendezvoused with Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton's Eighth Fleet, following a brief but fierce battle with ZAFT forces. Now they were maneuvering into formation with the flagship _Menelaos,_ an _Agamemnon_-class mobile armor carrier, for debriefing and new instructions. For the crew of the _Archangel_, their journey was almost over; unlike for the Blade.

Kevin was slipping into a dangerous mind set, and he knew it. It had been two years since fatalism claimed him, yet now death seemed like not so bad a thing. It would finally put him to rest, and atone for the murder of his comrades, long ago.

He knew as well as anyone that most other people wouldn't consider his actions murder; there had, after all, been _extremely_ extenuating circumstances. But however it had come about, the fact remained that eleven people he had led, eleven young men and women who had trusted him with their lives, had been brutally killed in one single night of blood and screams and terror and wrath... a night which had ended in thermonuclear fire.

_Why am I still alive?_ the soldier wondered._ Why do I still survive, till death and beyond, when all others perish? That nuke killed me, too... so why am I here? How did I come back, and why, when I have done such terrible deeds? Surely the world would be a better place without the Revenger, the Hydra, the Man of a Thousand Lives. The Grim Reaper is always at my heels, yet he never quite catches me; instead, he takes those who are most dear to me. Why does it continue?_

Kevin shook his head, clearing his mind of such meaningless speculation. Besides, he couldn't die yet; not while Alex Jackson still lived... not while he still did not know who the blond girl from Heliopolis was. He could have no peace as long as that riddle remained unresolved.

At least these last three weeks proved I still have what it takes. After a year of rest, I wasn't sure. But that last battle...

He frowned. Unlike Kira, who was still confused by his own actions during the last skirmish, Kevin knew _precisely_ what had occurred. The problem was, he had no idea _how_ it had occurred.

The Berserker state. That was what it had been called by the Tiger, when Racher studied under him. Something that had only been hinted at during the Project, Kevin had since deduced it was something they'd been actively working to enhance... and failed. It was something which a handful of human beings were capable of, which wasn't dependent on genetic type. Natural or Coordinator, this "elite" was virtually unknown, even to themselves. The ability to become what was called a Berserker, after the crazed ancient warriors, but was in reality closer to the unattainable, perfect ideal of the martial arts: a pure state of mind, uncluttered by rage -though frequently triggered by it- which boosted the fighter's mental abilities by several orders of magnitude. Reflexes were faster, thoughts flashed like lightning, and the warrior was virtually unstoppable by any but another Berserker.

It didn't surprise Kevin that Kira was one of the few, having already taken note of his friend's extraordinary abilities. And he also knew that he himself was one... but it had been two and a half years since he'd entered the state himself.

That night of bloody carnage, the amnesiac soldier had gone completely berserk, using his zoanthrope abilities, his new augmentation, and the Berserker state itself. And as far as he could determine later, that had triggered the remnants of the drugs within him, forever removing from him the abilities he had used that night.

Yet now he had done it again, and at the precise instant his best friend had. That suggested, besides the fact that his earlier conclusions were incorrect, that some form of psychosomatic phenomenon had been at work. Being a zoanthrope, Kevin knew there were, to quote Shakespeare, more things in heaven and earth than were dreamt of in his philosophy; but this, while seemingly an outgrowth of his natural empathic senses, was something he had no experiential data on. He didn't understand it.

And it was, perhaps, unlikely that he ever would. If he survived, he would doubtless drop in on Kira Yamato from time to time, but it was time for him to return to a world he understood, to the underground, before anyone else got hurt by his enemies. A man who believed in Fate, Kevin took no chances; so it was unlikely he and Kira would ever again fight together in battle.

Kevin finally shook himself, and stood. They were about to rendezvous with the _Menelaos_, and he had a few more things to take care of in the hanger first; last minute details. Lewis Halberton was probably the only man in the Earth Forces not on the _Archangel_ whom he respected, so he figured he might as well make sure nothing was _too_ unsightly for the Admiral's visit.

_Not that it'll matter much longer,_ he thought, opening the hatch._ Soon, I'll be back on Earth, and I may never see these people again. Too bad, really._

In later times, he would reflect on how incredibly premature those thoughts were.

* * *

It was busy in the _Archangel_'s hanger. Kevin's GINN was, after all, not the only machine to sustain damage in the last battle. La Flaga's Moebius Zero had lost a wired gunbarrel, with all the attendant malfunctions; unlike the Strike, which, thanks to Kira's incredible flying, had escaped completely unscathed. 

Since the enigmatic soldier was the only person truly conversant, for whatever reason, with the gizzards of a GINN, he was left to it, while the mechanics, La Flaga, and Kira worked on the Zero. Or, rather, the mechanics and Kira worked on it, while La Flaga dozed above.

Dozed, that was, until Kira suddenly popped out of the mobile armor's hatch and nearly scared the daylights out of him. "We've already reached the Fleet," he said plaintively, "so would someone tell me why we're in such a rush?"

"I just don't feel right -or safe- when it's damaged," the Lieutenant explained, privately wondering if the younger pilot had been taking teleportation lessons from Blade.

"The pilots coming over from the Fleet are all rookies fresh from The Book," Murdoch chimed in. "No experience at all. So if something happens, we'll need the Lieutenant here to sortie."

"But what about the Strike?" Kira asked, turning to look at the silent sentinel. "I mean, the way I had to alter the OS... is it _really_ okay to leave it as is?"

La Flaga blinked. _Remember, Mu,_ he told himself, _the kid _is_ leaving; he won't be the pilot forever._

"Well," he began, "I never really thought about that. Good point, actually. But I'm not so sure we should return it to its original state, since that would reduce its performance."

"Well then, we'll just have to hope we get someone who _can_ fly it as is."

Both pilots looked up, to see Murrue Ramius floating toward them. "Uh, Captain?"

"What's this?" La Flaga asked, raising an eyebrow. "To what do we owe the honor?"

The Captain smiled. "I don't mean to intrude, and I realize you have quite a bit of work to do, but I wanted to have a chat with Kira."

"Huh?" Kira's eyes were narrow with surmise; and, perhaps, suspicion.

Ramius' smile grew. "Oh, don't give me that suspicious look of yours; although I can't really say that I blame you." They both recalled quite well the battle in which Lacus Clyne had been used as a bargaining chip, and neither were exactly fond of those memories.

Still, Kira rather respected and admired -even liked- the _Archangel_'s Captain; it would only be polite to hear what she had to say; and he found himself curious, anyway.

* * *

"I've hardly had a free moment," Ramius said minutes later, "what with all the fighting and everything, so I could never find the time to have a meaningful talk with you." They stood on the walkway before the Strike, and she spent several moments staring at its impassive face, before turning to Kira. "Well, I just wanted to thank you properly this time." 

He blinked. What had he done that deserved thanks? He'd only done what he'd had no choice but to do, to protect himself and his friends. "Captain?"

She seemed to understand. "I put a lot on your shoulders," she explained obliquely, "and made you give us your all; but you did it well, and without complaint. Mostly, anyway," she amended with a smile, remembering both his initial refusal to fly the Strike and his later fury at Badgiruel's actions. "I can't thank you enough."

Ramius actually bowed, and Kira felt acutely uncomfortable. "It's all right, really, Captain. Besides, Blade helped as much as me."

"Maybe," she conceded, straightening. "I'll admit I won't complain about his actions at Heliopolis, other than having my gun blown out of my hand -that really stung, you know- and I suppose I'd have done the same in his place... if I were anywhere near as good a shot. And, of course, his aid at Artemis was most helpful."

He'd heard about that one. "Broke you out of that cell, right?"

"Yes." It was more than that, actually; but Ramius felt it unwise to mention that Kevin had done some truly impressive -and, in some ways, frightening- things in the Artemis Base. "Anyway," she went on, bringing the conversation back to the original topic, "while the others may not say it to your face, we are all deeply grateful."

Kira shrugged. "I just did what I had to do, Captain."

"That's what they all say," she said with a smile. "You know, I imagine things will be hectic even down on Earth, but I wish you the best of luck." Ramius held out a hand. "You've earned it, Kira."

He hesitantly took it. "You too, Captain."

* * *

Kevin was quietly cursing the universe in general from within his GINN, and the people who had given him the knowledge of the machine in particular. _If they hadn't done that,_ he groused to himself, _I'd be just as clueless as everybody else; and maybe then I wouldn't be working on this all by myself._

He was standing on the pilot seat with his head in the cockpit ceiling, making tricky adjustments, when he heard a knock at the hatch. "I trust I'm not intruding?"

The sandy-haired pilot pulled his head out of the access panel and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No, not at all, Captain." He waved Ramius in (like all mobile suits, the cockpit was more roomier than those of conventional fightcraft). "Is something up?"

She smiled. "No, not really. It's just... You're going to be leaving in a few hours, and I haven't had a chance to have a civilized conversation with you in a while."

"That's true." Kevin looked wry. "The last few times, it's come to death threats; not that I blame you, personally, Captain. Ensign Badgiruel, perhaps, but not you."

Ramius chuckled. "Yes, she always has rubbed you the wrong way, hasn't she?" She glanced around the somewhat battered cockpit. "So you're really leaving, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." He idly fingered the revolver holstered at his side. "If I could, Captain, I really would want to stay with the _Archangel_, regardless of my problems with the Earth Forces top brass. But I can't. I'd be putting all of you in grave danger."

"Blue Cosmos?"

He nodded. "Partially. I don't knowhow -or I should say, I don't know how _now_- but Blue Cosmos always finds my trail again sooner or later. And when they do, those in my vicinity tend to get hurt." Kevin fell silent. "But there's more to it than that," he said softly. "My past is not a very happy one, Captain. Those were dark times for me, very dark... and I fear there are still those who wish me ill, for my past deeds."

"What past deeds?" Ramius asked cautiously; in the whole time the young man had been aboard, he hadn't been this open with her; she wondered what had changed. "Who's after you?"

"I can't tell you that. If you knew, you'd be a target, too." He clenched his fists. "Captain, I can't tell you much, but you should know I've done things that I'm not very proud of. In fact, I'm downright horrified by some of them. There are people who I... betrayed once, years ago; people who trusted me with their lives. I admit there were... extenuating circumstances, circumstances that any lawyer -a breed which I agree with Shakespeare on, by the way- would say meant that either I was not responsible for my actions, or they had it coming. Possibly both. But that doesn't change what I did to them; not one bit."

"I'm sure you had your reasons," she said gently; lethal though the Blade might be, she knew him well enough by now to trust him with her life. "Are those the people who are hunting you?"

Kevin laughed humorlessly. "Only in my nightmares; I killed them all." He considered for a moment. "Let me put it to you this way: remember a nuclear explosion about two and a half years ago, at L2?" She nodded quizzically. "That was me. Never mind why, but the people behind it are _not_ very happy with me... or they wouldn't be, except they think I died there, too."

Ramius flinched at the obvious pain in his voice. This was someone with a dark past, certainly. But, in her mind, that very pain made him all the more trustworthy. If he were some kind of monster, he wouldn't even care. "You've seen hard times, haven't you?" she murmured.

"Yes, I have." His jade eyes seemed dark for a moment. Then Kevin brightened a little. "But it's not quite all doom and gloom, Captain. I have a slightly cheerier reason for leaving: there's someone I want to find." He unconsciously rubbed his wicked facial scar. "You remember on Heliopolis, when you nearly shot Kira? There was a girl with him, one whom I believe managed to escape in one of the lifeboats."

"You're looking for her?" The Captain raised an eyebrow. "So who is she?"

Kevin shrugged. "That's the thing; I don't know. But, Captain... I think I should. When she caught sight of me without my shades, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. She said something about my being dead, and seemed very surprised that I didn't know who she was."

She frowned. "Could she have mistaken you for someone else?"

"Possible... but unlikely. If nothing else, my eyes tend to leave an impression on people." He actually smirked a little. "The 'glowing jade' look seems to be distinctive. Besides," he went on, "I have the funny feeling that I should be remembering her. Like she's tovarisch."

Something clicked in Ramius' mind. "Your memory was erased, wasn't it?"

"At one time," Kevin admitted. "I've recovered most of it -and I shouldn't go into how I lost it in the first place- but there still seem to be some glaring gaps. Apparently that girl is one of them, so I'm going to Earth to try to find her."

"I hope you do," she said sincerely. "By the way," she added, as his previous comment registered, "why do you call some people 'tovarisch'?"

He blinked, then looked a little sheepish. "Oh, that. It's Russian, for comrade; a real popular word for them, believe me. They're all a little crazy, in my opinion. But anyway, that's what I call those few who I trust absolutely without question. At the moment, only two fit that description, and one of them is... unavailable." The jade eyes darkened again, remembering one Athrun Zala, but the soldier brushed it off. "I think, perhaps, that girl is a third, though. If I can find her, I will."

Ramius nodded slowly. "And for all those reasons, you have to leave the ship," she said quietly. "I'll be sorry to see you go, Blade. Any chance we'll ever see you again?"

Kevin shrugged. "I make it a practice never to try to predict the capricious actions of Fate, Captain, but I just might see about stopping by sometime. As you may remember, it's not easy to keep me from going anywhere I want to."

"That's true," she agreed with a smile. "Something to look forward to, certainly -and I wouldn't object if your GINN were to turn up in a battle sometime, either."

"There is a distinct possibility of that," he admitted. "As you may have noticed, I have a certain hatred toward ZAFT; my time in this war might not yet be over. But I expect anything more will be freelance actions, on my own initiative."

"Quite. Speaking of which," Ramius said suddenly, "there's something I think we can do for _you_." She waved a hand at the cockpit around them. "We're going to be getting supplies from the Eighth Fleet, including spares for the Strike. Mr. Murdoch, it seems, has a few ideas for modifying your GINN, if you'd like; give you an extra edge in battle."

Kevin's eyebrows went up. "I'd appreciate that, Captain. But why?"

"It's the least we can do," she pointed out. "You've helped us a great deal over the past few weeks, after all. Think of it as our way of saying thanks."

"I appreciate it, Captain," he said quietly. "Thanks a lot."

"Like I said, it's the least we can do." Ramius held out a hand. "I don't know exactly what you're going to be up to for the next few weeks -and I'm not too sure I want to- but I wish you the best of luck."

Kevin took it. "You too, Captain. You'll probably need it more than I."

* * *

About an hour later, Kevin was feeling slightly less cheerful. He, along with the rest of the crew, stood in the hanger, awaiting the arrival of Admiral Halberton. 

It was not that he had any objection to showing such proper courtesy for the Admiral. No, it was simply that this required him to be in proper uniform... and if their was one thing Kevin Walker loathed, it was uniforms. _Well, could be worse,_ he told himself moodily. _The _last_ time you were in uniform awaiting a dignitary, you killed your entire unit. At least here, there's nothing to make you go berserk._

Even so, he'd determined that whatever problems he might have with leaving the ship, leaving the uniform behind was _not_ one of them.

As the assembled crew watched, the shuttle from the _Menelaos_ slipped easily into the _Archangel_'s hanger and alighted on the deck. Within moments, its hatch opened, disgorging Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton, the _Menelaos_' CO, Captain Hoffman, and a couple of other officers.

Instantly, the officers and crew at the head of the formation snapped to attention, showing proper military respect for the man behind the project which had produced their ship and the Strike.

Halberton touched down on the deck and returned the salutes directed at him. "When news reached us of the destruction of Heliopolis," he began, "I was convinced that that was the end. I've never been happier to be proven wrong."

"Thank you, sir," Ramius said sincerely.

"I was a little concerned when I heard that you were in a battle earlier," the Admiral went on, scanning the huge chamber. "Is everyone all right?"

Badgiruel seemed to take that as request for introductions. "Ensign Natarle Badgiruel," she said with military precision, saluting again.

La Flaga likewise stepped forward. "I'm Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, of the Seventh Orbital Fleet, at your service, sir."

Halberton nodded in recognition. "The Hawk of Endymion, eh? We were fortunate indeed to have you with us," he added, shaking the Hawk's hand.

"I just wish I could have been of more service, sir."

The Admiral nodded, and turned his attention to the somewhat larger group behind the Bridge crew, headed by the six in volunteer blue. "And who might these be?"

"Sir, these are the students from Heliopolis," Ramius explained. "They've been helping with the operation of the ship; without them, we likely would not have made it this far."

"I see," Halberton murmured, genuine respect in his voice. "It is a remarkable thing indeed, when such young people take up arms in their own defense. Thank you for aiding the _Archangel_ on its way here. Oh yes," he continued, "you'll be relieved to know that we've done some checking on the families of each one of you, and everyone is safe."

Kevin did not miss the way the Admiral looked at him, while his friends quietly cheered. _That's right, Admiral. Your checks wouldn't have found anything about me, because I have no family... and I don't exist. But that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish._

Halberton's speculating glance was deflected when Hoffman leaned over. "Uh, sir, we don't have much time," he quietly reminded his boss.

"Right," the Admiral whispered back. "Well," he said to the volunteers, "duty calls. But when we have the chance, I'd like to have a chat with you guys."

Watching the man go, Kevin's eyes narrowed. _Yes, Admiral, I'm sure... and how will Natarle Badgiruel influence you? How much has this crew figured out about me?_ It had not escaped his notice that Ramius and La Flaga, at least, seemed to have more knowledge of his abilities than he'd intended them to have. _I wonder... do they know -or suspect- the truth of Gerard Garcia's demise? And if they do, how will they report it?_

* * *

Kevin Walker was not present when his friends received their discharge papers (the military's way of avoiding a potentially sticky legal situation); thus he also was not around for Flay Allster's impassioned speech when _she_ formally enlisted. 

He didn't even hear about it until he headed down the corridor back toward the hanger, hours later, and ran into Tolle and the others.

"Hey, Blade!" Tolle called.

The soldier turned. "Tolle. What's up?"

The brown-haired volunteer responded by handing him a rolled-up sheet of paper. "This is meant for you, Blade. Your discharge papers."

Kevin glanced at them briefly, before stuffing them into the duffel bag he carried. "So where's yours?" he asked. His friends were still in uniform, whereas he himself had gone back to his black ensemble, complete with sunglasses. "I thought you guys were disembarking, too."

"We changed our minds," Sai informed him. "Flay volunteered first, and I figured I shouldn't leave her all by herself, and well... things led from there."

Kevin blinked. "_Flay_ joined up? I never would have thought she had the temperament for it." He was also no longer certain he trusted her; something was going on beneath the surface, something that bothered him...

Mir smiled. "We were surprised, too, but we all figured _we_ might as well stay, too. Tore up our discharge papers and everything. We're official Earth Forces personnel now."

"Though I'm still not _certain_ it's a good idea..." Kuzzey said hesitantly. "Or rather, I'm not sure it's _safe_."

The sandy-haired pilot snorted. "If you want safe, you don't wanna be in the military, Kuzzey. Take it from me: battlefields are _very_ dangerous places; I should know. On the other hand, the _Archangel_ is just about the safest place you're likely to find in battle."

"But you and Kira are still leaving, huh?" Tolle asked.

"Don't know about Kira, though I imagine so. Me, though... yeah, I'm leaving. It's too dangerous to stay. Besides, there's a couple of people I need to track down."

He nodded. That was about what he'd expected. "So, you taking the shuttle with Kira? Or is Mr. Murdoch doing something crazy with your GINN?"

Kevin grimaced. "You guessed it; the last time I checked the hanger, most of the back of the machine was ripped out, and there was a spare Aile Striker pack lying next to it. Looks like Murdoch's merry band of mechanically-inclined madmen have gone to work, and they've got carte blanche."

"Are all mechanics a little crazy?" Sai wondered aloud.

Blade barked a laugh. "No, Sai, none of them are; they're a _lot_ crazy. Get used to it. I have; I just hope my machine still exists once they're through with it." He shrugged. "Well, I'd better get going. Good luck, guys."

Mir smiled. "You too, Blade. Sounds like you'll need it."

* * *

Murdoch's people, it turned out, were not only crazy: there were also extremely efficient when they wanted to be. Given that most of them more than half-suspected -mechanics being superstitious people- that the pilot whose machine they were working on had a talent for black magic, there was considerable incentive to move quickly. 

"Hey, Blade!" Murdoch greeted when the pilot walked in. "Wondered when you'd turn up, kid; nice timing, too. We just finished the last adjustments."

"Is that so?" Kevin looked up at the GINN... or more precisely, the gray, bastardized monstrosity it had become. "How about you tell me just what you did to that poor mobile suit, Mr. Murdoch."

"Sure thing, kid." The older man first pointed to the most obvious change: the familiar unit attached to the machine's back. "As you can see, we started out by hardwiring an Aile Striker pack to the back. That'll give you better endurance, extra maneuverability in space, independent atmospheric reentry capabilities, and full flight even within a gravity well. Also, we moved the beam sabers onto the Striker pack."

"Sounds handy," the soldier acknowledged. "I don't even want to know how you pulled it off, but I'm grateful. What else?"

"Improved avionics -also spares from the Strike- and the usual beam rifle and anti-beam shield. And, as you can see, we added something a little out of the ordinary; got the idea from some custom GINNs we've heard about."

Kevin could indeed see; and out of the ordinary was putting in mildly. "One doesn't normally see a katana on a mobile suit, Mr. Murdoch," he murmured, staring up at the huge, slightly-curved sword sheathed at the machine's left hip. Useless against Phase-shift, it would nonetheless be deadly against mass-produced machines. "It's not quite what I'm used to," he went on, choosing not to mention what he _was_ used to, "but I think I can handle it."

"Good." Murdoch grinned suddenly. "Oh, yeah, almost forgot. We heard you're headin' for the desert, so we jury-rigged a scale system for it."

Kevin looked at him sharply. "Scale system? You mean like ZAFT's land battleships use to go through sand like water?"

"Right. And..." The mechanic pointed at the machine's left shoulder. "There's a cut-down hyper-impulse cannon in there. Based off the Aegis' Scylla, with a smaller bore and a better reflector system so you don't blow yourself up with it. I wouldn't recommend using it _too_ much -they way this thing's set up, you could overload real fast- but it might give you just the edge you need sometime." He grinned again. "Oh, yeah. You'll notice it ain't striped anymore?"

"It hadn't escaped my notice, no." And it was making the pilot wonder.

The grin widened. "Well, see, another thing we got from the Eighth Fleet was spares for the Strike's PSA generator. You know what that means, right, kid?"

Kevin smiled slowly. "You've equipped it with Phase-shift. You really are crazy, Murdoch."

"We try, kid. We try." Murdoch was looking insufferably pleased with himself. "I think she'll do fine for you, kid. Oh, by the way, we changed her designation. I mean, she ain't exactly a GINN anymore, and as she is now she could go toe-to-toe with a G-weapon, so now she's the GAT-X401 Punisher."

"How appropriate," Blade said dryly. "How _very_ appropriate." The man who the people of the desert knew as Racher, the Revenger, would now be piloting a machine called the Punisher. _How apt._

"Kevin Walker, I presume?"

Kevin turned, hearing the unexpected voice. "Admiral Halberton," he murmured, mildly surprised. "I'm Walker, yeah."

Murdoch and his people made quick, discrete exits as the Admiral approached. "I thought as much. Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Carter."

The sandy-haired pilot grimaced. "I don't really care for that name, Admiral."

"My apologies." Halberton shrugged. "It's difficult to tell what might be sore subjects for you, since so little is known about you."

"There's a reason for that, Admiral. Far too many people want me dead, as the officers may have told you. Start with Blue Cosmos and ZAFT." A cold smile. "But as you may have heard, I'm quite good at taking care of myself."

The Admiral chuckled. "Yes, that's been explained to me. At great length, I might add. Did you know there was talk of drafting you?"

Kevin laughed harshly. "I assume Captain Ramius pointed out the... consequences of such an action? And Ensign Badgiruel, for that matter?"

Halberton smiled. "Yes, they did. In point of fact, the Ensign told Captain Hoffman quite bluntly that any attempt to draft you would result the Eighth Fleet needing a new admiral, and the _Menelaos_ a new captain. Needless to say, I decided to take her word for it."

"Wise of you." The soldier idly fingered the revolver holstered at his waist, then suddenly drew it and began twirling it. "I realize the good Ensign doesn't really care for me, but at least she respects my abilities. However, if you're not here to draft me, why _are_ you here, Admiral? I can't see myself as being so important as to take up some of your precious time."

The Admiral laughed again. "You don't have much respect for senior officers, do you, Mr. Walker?"

"Frankly, no." Kevin shrugged. "Murrue Ramius earned my respect by facing me down with a pistol on Heliopolis. She lost her weapon in the process, but that makes it no less impressive. As for other officers, well... I've been a unit commander myself, Admiral, long ago; I like to think I can tell the good from the bad."

Halberton's eyes narrowed. "Yes, Lieutenant La Flaga suspected something of the sort. He could never quite figure it out, but it was clear to him that you'd commanded something before. But neither of us had ever heard of you, and you're clearly too young to have led an Earth Forces unit. So who, if I may ask, _did_ you work for?"

The pilot considered refusing to answer the question, but shrugged instead. _Somehow, I get the feeling the Admiral isn't going to be around much longer anyway; and even if he was, he's one of the few decent men in the Alliance. If I can't tell him, who can I?_

"It was ZAFT," he said finally. "Before the war, of course; Kira can tell you I was on Heliopolis at the time fighting broke out. And the unit I led is why I'm out here today, Admiral, fighting ZAFT... and trying to bury my past. I slaughtered my comrades, you see. All eleven of them. That was the day I came back to myself." He slowly extended the claws in his right hand. "It was Project ABADDON, Admiral."

Halberton inhaled sharply. "ABADDON? There were only rumors... and ugly ones, at that. You're saying the Project actually had some successes?"

"Yes, Admiral. Twelve of them. Only I remain, however."

"So, ZAFT's secret weapon truly existed," the Admiral whispered. "Was it truly as horrible as the intelligence reports suggested?"

Kevin nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir. That is _why_ my comrades are dead, Admiral. I was an... unwilling participant in the Project, and when I came back to myself, it was... horrifying. Believe me when I say that you do _not_ want to know the details. The nightmares I have are bad enough."

"That explains a great deal..." Halberton said slowly. "No wonder you hate ZAFT so much. You have my condolences, Mr. Walker; I wish only that you had not needed to do the deed yourself."

"Better it be me," the man once called Hydra said softly, "than a stranger. I may have murdered them, but I would not wish anyone else to have done it."

"Understandable. And now I see why you were so determined to hide your past." Oddly, the Admiral seemed to be suppressing a smile. "I'd assumed it was because of the events surrounding your death, two years ago."

Kevin froze, utterly motionless, not even breathing. Then, "How in the _world_ did you know that?" he demanded in a strangled whisper. "You know who I am, don't you?"

Now Halberton was _definitely_ smiling. "Let's just say that I suspected. Strongly. Now I know for sure. So, the prodigal son is alive, eh? Shall we roast the fatted calf?"

"Absolutely not." The soldier's voice was harsh. "If that information leaves this room, Admiral, I will be a _very_ unhappy man... and you will be dead. It is far too dangerous for that knowledge to get out, and I am _not_ returning to the homeland!"

"Relax, Mr. Walker," the Admiral suggested, chuckling, "relax. I'm not crazy, you know; and I believe I have some inkling of why you never returned, even after you recovered. Your secret's safe with me... though I honestly doubt you'll be able to keep it forever."

"Maybe not," Kevin conceded. "But if I ever return to Orb, it'll be on _my _terms, not theirs. And I really don't have much _reason_ too; I always hated Lord Uzumi's guts, anyway." He paused suddenly. "Admiral... if you know who I am, then maybe you have the answer to what has become a very burning question for me."

Halberton raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

Kevin stood there a moment longer, marshaling his thoughts. "There was someone I met on Heliopolis," he began slowly. "A young girl, about my age. She seemed to know me... in fact, we apparently knew each other _very_ well, because she reacted like she'd just seen a ghost. Unfortunately, my memory still has a few gaps, and she appears to be one of them. So tell me: was there anyone I was particularly close too, in my old life? Anyone noteworthy?"

The Admiral considered that for a time. "Mr. Walker," he said finally, "I believe that is a question that you must answer yourself. The human mind is a tricky thing to work with, as various psychobabblers have probably told you over the years; and after everything you've been through, it would probably be best if you found the answer yourself. I realize that may not be a satisfactory answer, but I truly believe it to be the right one. And while you may have all sorts of experience, and your Coordinator mental abilities, I do hope you'll admit at least that with age does come wisdom."

"Depends on the man," Kevin said instantly. "But in that you're correct: I am under no illusions that I know everything. And yes, your answer does frustrate me, but somehow I didn't really expect anything different. Besides which, I expect _you_ don't really know the answer, either."

"True enough," Halberton agreed, smiling. "I'm afraid that, unlike a certain member of the _Archangel_'s crew, I didn't follow your life and career very closely. I have vague suspicions, but nothing more than that." He shook his head. "Anyway, Mr. Walker, what I actually came here to do was thank you."

"If you want to thank anyone, thank Kira," the pilot said wearily. "_He's_ the real reason we got this far; all I did was provide a distraction."

"I already did," the Admiral told him, "and now I'm thanking _you_. You deserve it. Even if you really were 'only a distraction', sometimes that's good enough. And because of that, I have something for you." Halberton reached into a pocket, withdrew a pair of small objects, and tossed them to the young man. "I realize you're leaving -and if you're going after the man I think you are, I wish you good hunting- so I thought this might come in handy. If ever you have... problems with the Earth Forces, that should get you out of them."

"Indeed..." Blade examined them briefly before stuffing the Earth Forces' Ensign insignia in his own pocket. "Thank you, Admiral. I hope never to need them, but being a semi-official Alliance officer could be useful sometime." He turned away, looking up at his mobile suit. "Admiral, I believe it's time I took my leave. I expect that a battle will be starting before long, and I'd rather be away before then. I wish you luck, sir."

Halberton saluted the soldier's back as he propelled himself up to the Punisher's cockpit. "You, as well, Mr. Walker. I leave you with one piece of wisdom: there is more to life than vengeance. Even yours."

"I'll keep that in mind, Admiral." Kevin settled into the cockpit, and the hatch began to close. "I suspect we won't meet again," he said, in the remaining moments before he was sealed in, "but it was an honor to have met you, sir."

"You're probably right," Halberton whispered to himself, watching the hybrid machine walk toward the catapult. "Yes, I imagine you're correct. Whatever Fate has in store for you, Kevin Walker, I suspect you'll outlive us all. I hope so, anyway."

* * *

GAT-X401 Punisher stepped into the _Archangel_'s starboard catapult, and Kevin Walker keyed his radio. "Bridge, this is Walker. I'm ready for launch." 

_"Roger that, Mr. Walker,"_ Natarle Badgiruel replied from the Bridge._ "Connecting to catapult. You may launch at your discretion." _She hesitated, before continuing awkwardly._ "Blade,"_ she said, using his nickname for the first time,_ "whatever our differences may have been, I'm glad we had you aboard. Your help was greatly appreciated."_

"Don't mention it, Ensign." He smiled to himself. "Who knows, maybe we'll meet again."

_"Let's hope not,"_ she retorted instantly, though she sounded more amused than angry._ "I didn't appreciate your help _that_ much."_

"Suit yourself."

A face appeared on one of Punisher's monitors. _"I guess this is goodbye, huh?"_

Kevin nodded. "'Fraid so, Captain. You have your job, I have mine. But if you happen to hit the Libyan desert in the next month or so, you might still find me there. And... ZAFT hasn't heard the last from me yet. Don't be surprised if I turn up sometime to pull your bacon out of the fire."

_"I'll look forward to it."_ Ramius smiled._ "Well, Blade, I guess you'd best be off, then."_

"Yes. It's time." He squared his shoulders and prepared himself for high-G acceleration. "X401 Punisher, launching!"

* * *

Kira Yamato, over an hour after his friend's departure, stood in line in _Archangel_'s hanger, waiting his turn to board the shuttle bound for the _Menelaos_. In his hand, he held one of the paper flowers that had been dispersed over the remains of Junius Seven. One of the Heliopolis refugees, a little girl, had given it to him in thanks for protecting the ship and her passengers up to this point. 

_Well, it's finally over,_ he thought with a mental sigh of relief._ We've come this far, and now it's time to go back to civilian life. _He was going to Orb, since that was where his parents had ended up after the colony's collapse; he wondered idly if Kevin would end up there sometime, too._ Fat chance; he _hates_ the thought of going back there. But maybe I'll find out who he really is, someday._

There were but a few people ahead of him when the shout rang out behind him. "Kira!"

Kira turned in surprise, seeing Tolle, Sai, Kuzzey, and Mir coming toward him. "There you are," he said, relieved. "I thought you weren't gonna make it."

"We're not." Tolle shoved a rolled-up paper into his hand. "This is meant for you; it's your discharge papers. But you're going alone."

Kira blinked in shock. _"What?"_

"We've all decided to stay here," Sai told him. "With the _Archangel_, and the military."

"But-"

"Flay decided to volunteer," Kuzzey cut in, looking more confident than he had when he'd spoken with Kevin. "So we thought we'd do the same."

Kira couldn't believe his ears. "_Flay_ joined up? But I thought-"

"It's because of her father's death, I think," Mir said. "She wants to help make sure the war ends before too many more lives are lost."

He was at a complete loss for words; but the officer at the shuttle's hatch filled the silence. "Hey, you! We're leaving!"

"Uh, please wait a moment!" Tolle answered. "He's coming!" He looked back at Kira. "Think of this as destiny; or Fate, as Kevin might say. Take care of yourself, and help us out by making sure you get to Earth safely."

That was when the alarms began going off. _"All hands to Level One Battlestations! Repeat, all hands to Level One Battlestations!"_

"We'd better go," Sai told the others. "So long, Kira."

The group moved off; Kuzzey, however, couldn't resist a parting shot. "No matter what happens, please don't be tempted to join ZAFT!"

Then they were gone, leaving Kira by himself. _What's... going on?_ Oblivious to the alarms, he looked at the simple piece of paper which told him he was free to go. Then he looked at the paper flower, which told him he could make a difference. _Make a difference..._

_"Kira, you have the power to make a difference, don't you?" _La Flaga had said, weeks earlier._ "So why not put it to good use?"_

"You know, I imagine things will be hectic even down on Earth..."

"Thank you for protecting the rest of us till now..."

Kira took one last look at his discharge papers. _Even Flay is staying... How can I leave them now?_ Kevin had made his decision; now he had to make his.

And the pilot of the GAT-X105 Strike made his decision. He crumpled up the paper and pushed off for the hatch. "Please, go without me," he told the surprised shuttle officer, and left to rejoin his friends.

* * *

Author's note: So, someone has finally deduced Kevin Walker's true identity. Who is he really, and why has he been on the run for so long? The answers are drawing nigh… And will he actually leave the _Archangel_ to her fate? 

Daniel Lynx, I rather thought you'd approve of the court martial scene. It's a bit longer than my original version (the chapters so far were originally written some months ago, but required extensive revision once I was able to review the first few episodes), and the scar wasn't revealed until his meeting with Halberton.

As for who's after Patrick Zala's worthless carcass, that shouldn't be very difficult to figure out, based on later revelations.

Bigronnie17, all will soon be revealed… or most, anyway.

Also, you now see exactly what my peculiar plans for Kevin's GINN were; the katana, of course, is a recent alteration.

That seems to be all I need to say. Let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	9. Chapter 9: The Price of Freedom

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

To an observer with no idea of the relative vessel strengths, the destruction of the Eighth Fleet would come as a shock; that mighty force of over a dozen warships, blown out of space by one _Nazca_-class battleship, two _Laurasia_-class, ten GINNs, and four G-weapons. 

But Kevin Walker, putative Ensign, Earth Alliance Forces, knew all too well the relative strengths and weaknesses of the ships involved, and after that battle, whenever he overheard someone suggest that the Fleet's destruction was due to the unpreparedness of the crews, or the incompetence of Admiral Lewis Halberton, he would explain in great detail that the ZAFT forces simply had an enormous qualitative advantage.

After, of course, he threw the offender through a wall for having the temerity to suggest Admiral Halberton or his men were anything less than heroes. Having met Lewis Halberton personally, the Blade considered him one of the most brilliant and honorable men ever to command a fleet in space.

But even that brilliance seemed nothing before the superior ZAFT weapons and people who knew how to use them, and some brave souls would point that out to Kevin. Yet he always maintained that it took a miracle just for the _Archangel_ to survive that battle, and Lewis Halberton provided that miracle.

At the time of the battle, however, no one had the least idea that Kevin Walker might still be near. He'd taken off from the _Archangel_ hours before the battle began, flying his unique mobile suit down to Earth; and no one realized was that Kevin Walker was, in fact, still in orbit.

Least of all the ZAFT pilots, including his old friend, Athrun Zala. And, as Kevin would point out many a time, what you don't know can kill you.

And did.

* * *

Things were hectic on the _Archangel_'s Bridge during that battle; Halberton had given much the same orders Captain Koopman, the commander of the advance force, had: keep the _Archangel_ out of the fight for as long as possible. Had Kevin been under those orders at the time, of course, he would have sneered, and, probably, disobeyed them. But at the time, he did not even have any intention of intervening in the battle, let alone pay any attention to battle tactics. 

Captain Ramius, as it happened, had no idea _any_ of the volunteers from Heliopolis were still around, so she was startled to hear the Bridge hatch open behind her.

"We're late," Tolle said, floating in with the others. "Sorry about that!"

"Where did you people come from?" the Captain asked in surprise.

"They've officially enlisted," Badgiruel said from CIC. "Captain Hoffman accepted them, and I approved it personally."

Ramius stared at her in surprise, as the newly-official crew members took their familiar places.

* * *

On a lower deck, Kira opened the hatch and quickly floated into the pilot's locker room, where the room's other occupant took notice of him. "Kira!" Flay said in surprise, and launched herself across the room, catching him in an embrace and knocking him back. 

As they bounced off the hatch, Kira blinked in surprise. "Flay, are you alright? What is this?"

She pulled back far enough to look him in the eye. "You went away!" she said. "Or at least I _thought_ you'd left us!" She was nearly in tears. "So I decided, everyone is fighting except for me, even though I was the first to say I would remain." Flay buried her face in his shoulder again. "So I decided... I was going to..."

Kira looked past her, and saw the locker with his own flight suit open. "You're not saying...?" He held her at arm's length. "Flay, don't start getting foolish ideas," he said. "A girl like you in a mobile suit? You couldn't possibly pilot it."

"But you see... all I wanted to do..."

He smiled. "I'll get back in the Strike's cockpit, and _I_ will fight for the both of us."

She blinked back tears. "Would you, Kira?"

Kira let go, and moved to the locker, where he paused, and turned back to her. "So, um... Listen..." he said, somewhat awkwardly. "I've, uh, taken what you said to heart. I'll never run away again." He turned away. "I've made up my mind; it's just the way it is. We have to keep at it till we end this war. We must do what we can."

Flay pushed off, floated over to him, and touched his shoulder. "Well then," she said, "let me also say... that I intend to protect _you_."

"Flay-" Kira was cut off as she kissed him. His eyes widened in surprise, and then he relaxed, eyes slowly closing. They hung there, in zero-gravity, and Kira thought perhaps, as he had once told Blade, life _did_ go on.

* * *

On the Bridge, Ramius watched grimly as the battle proceeded, and thought perhaps the Admiral had been wrong to keep the _Archangel_ out of the fight. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when her comm chimed. _"Hey!"_ La Flaga said, when she answered. _"Why am I still on standby? Those four machines are at it again! The Eighth Fleet is in deep trouble."_

"Lieutenant La Flaga..."

_"It's not as if my mobile armor alone will make much difference,"_ he continued,_ "but still!"_

"Our ship hasn't been ordered to join in yet," Ramius told him. "Please remain on standby."

"But that's-"

Ramius hung up, and turned to Kuzzey, at Communications. "Connect me to the _Menelaos_," she ordered.

A moment later, Halberton appeared on the monitor. _"What do you want?" _he asked curtly; he was in the middle of a fierce battle, after all.

"We wish to move away from the Fleet," she said. "It's imperative that we begin our descent sequence _now_, Admiral. _Please_ authorize it."

_"You can't be serious! Are you people trying to flee this battle to save yourselves?"_ Halberton demanded.

"This ship is the enemy's target," Ramius said stubbornly. "We must move away from _you_! Or else the whole fleet will be destroyed." She continued doggedly, "Alaska is out of the question, but from here we can still reach Earth Forces territory. We can shake off the GINNs and ZAFT vessels at the Earth's atmospheric interface. Admiral!"

Halberton paused for a long moment, watching as another of his ships was blown away before his eyes. Finally, he looked back at Ramius and smiled. _"Murrue Ramius, you haven't changed a bit. Still reckless as ever."_

She sighed in relief. "As you well know, a subordinate learns from her superior."

_"All right, then. Begin preparations for the _Archangel_'s descent now. We'll cover you up to the entry interface."_ He smiled._ "We'll make sure not one single enemy gets past us."_

* * *

"All hands, prepare for atmospheric entry interface."

Down in the hanger, La Flaga shook his head when the intercom sounded. "Descending? In the situation we're in?"

"What good's it gonna do you to yell at me?" Murdoch questioned. "But I guess it's better than sittin' around not doing anything."

"Yeah, well, you can understand-"

"Even if we shake off the ZAFT ships and GINNs, there's still those four machines," Kira said, floating past.

"Hey, kid!" Murdoch said in surprise.

Even more surprising, Kira was smiling; he'd never before looked that cheerful before going into battle. "I'll stand by in the Strike. Still at Level One Battlestations, right?"

"I thought he got off this ship," the Chief murmured to La Flaga.

"He's still at such a young age, and already he's seen his share of wars and battlefields," the pilot replied. "It's gonna make his life tough."

Murdoch glanced around at the largely-empty hanger and sighed. "Yeah, that's true. But I can't help wishing another guy who's seen a lot of battlefields were still here."

La Flaga nodded. "I know what you mean. Blade would really come in handy about now; especially in that crazy machine you guys came up with."

Neither knew that "that crazy machine" was still very close by.

* * *

Kevin Walker, the enigmatic pilot who had left the _Archangel_ several hours before the ZAFT forces were sighted, had not descended from orbit as he had originally intended. He was, rather, studying the battle that was unfolding before him. 

His cold jade eyes never flickered, even as ship after Earth Alliance ship exploded under the pounding of two _Laurasia_-class ships, one _Nazca_, ten GINNs, and four G-weapons... even as the _Archangel_ herself finally came under direct attack.

Kevin's thoughts were conflicted, seeing that tangled battlefield. On the one hand, he had decided it was his time to leave, to continue his own private little war. On the other hand, fighting ZAFT _was_ his "private little war", and as he'd told Ramius, there was a chance that he might turn up sometime to save their hides.

His fingers twitched on the control sticks, his right hand edging unconsciously toward the strange interface he'd installed himself on one arm of his seat. _So what now, Walker?_ he asked himself. _Are you Hydra, the unfeeling, uncaring warrior? Or are you the master of the blade, the soldier whose only allegiance is to his friends?_

His eyes came up, the color of frozen jade, and one of Punisher's mighty hands reached for the hilt at its side.

* * *

"What's our status?" Ramius demanded. Only minutes before, the opposing forces had been more or less ignoring them; now, they had at least three GINNs singling the _Archangel_ out for special attention. 

"It doesn't look good," Pal admitted. "Those machines aren't letting up, and even if we wanted to, we couldn't launch the Zero; those GINNs would take it -or the catapult- out in a heartbeat."

"So what do we _do?"_ Badgiruel demanded of the air.

"Mobile suits approaching!" Tonomura suddenly called. "They're zeroing in on the Bridge-"

Ramius' gaze snapped back to the forward viewport just in time to see one of the GINNs position itself for a direct attack on the ship's nerve center. "Intercept-!"

At the precise instant the enemy machine began to raise its weapon, bright metal burst out through its chest. Transfixed like a butterfly in an insect collection, the GINN remained frozen in place for a split second, before the mobile suit-sized katana ripped out one side.

By the light of the resultant explosion, another, eerily-similar machine was visible. Striped in red and black, with six wings on its back, the frightening apparition immediately tore into the remaining pair of GINNs. The first was split from head to pelvis; the second bisected diagonally down its torso.

The new arrival then turned to the _Archangel_, single eye staring directly through the Bridge viewport. And a moment later, a familiar, helmeted face appeared on the main display. _"Was my timing appropriate, Captain?"_ Kevin Walker inquired, smiling faintly.

Surprisingly, it was Badgiruel who answered. "Your timing couldn't be better, Blade. But what in the world are you still doing here? I thought you were on your way to Earth."

The smiled remained. _"Come now, Ensign. Did you really think I could leave without giving ZAFT a bloody nose? Besides, I figured you could use the help. You complaining?"_

"Of course not," Ramius said, finally managing to get out a coherent sentence. "Thanks for your assistance, Blade."

_"No problem."_ Kevin's outer, opaque visor slid down._ "I'll give you an escort until you reach atmospheric entry interface; after that, you're on your own."_

"Understood." She managed a smile. "That's another one we owe you, Blade."

_"Buy me a beer in about five years and I'll call it even,"_ he said sardonically, and signed off.

Badgiruel slowly shook her head. "Just when I think I've got the measure of the guy, he turns out to be a human being after all."

* * *

Kevin's eyes had frozen again as he returned his attention to the battle at hand. The conditioning that had made him what he was was back in force, and however much he hated what had produced it, he embraced it now. 

_One against nearly a dozen,_ a corner of his mind thought._ I'm out of my mind... but I'm also the only one who can protect the _Archangel_ right now._

He'd made a good start, certainly. Those three GINNs never knew what hit them. On the other hand, they now knew something else was out here... which meant a G-weapon was likely about to come calling.

As it happened, Athrun Zala had just noticed the interloper and decided to check things out himself. _What _is_ that thing?_ he wondered, deftly angling his Aegis toward it. _Whoever he is, he's good. But I've never seen anything like that machine before..._

As he drew closer, his mouth tightened. True, he'd never seen anything like it, but it was clearly based on a GINN's fuselage... and only one pilot flew under those colors. "Kevin..." Athrun whispered.

The hybrid mobile suit turned as the Aegis approached. "So there you are, Athrun," Kevin said calmly. "I wondered if I'd have to face you today." He took a moment to sheathe Punisher's gigantic blade; it would do no good at all against Aegis' Phase-shift. "I suppose we must fight, eh?"

"It doesn't have to be this way," Athrun replied, nonetheless holding his beam rifle at the ready. "Come on, Kevin; you know we don't have to be on opposite sides."

"You've said that before, Athrun," the soldier said softly, grasping his own rifle. "And I'll say it again: I cannot join ZAFT. Ever."

"But you're a Coordinator!" his old friend protested. "Why fight against your own people?"

"Any man who chooses his allegiance based on his genetic code is a fool," Kevin answered, voice implacable. "And as you well know, I was born in Orb; if I gave my allegiance to any government or nation, it would be my motherland." The rifle suddenly snapped up to firing position. "But my only true allegiance is to those like the men and women on that ship!" he shouted. "To the people I can trust! You used to be one of them, Athrun; now you're nothing more than a pawn!"

"What are you saying?" Athrun demanded.

"Enough talk, Athrun," Kevin said harshly. "You want the _Archangel_, you'll have to get through me first. So let's fight, mon ami; we'll settle this in battle... and maybe you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you when the clash of our swords echoes!"

Athrun's eyes went wide as the first shot spat out from Punisher's rifle; his surprise was so great he barely managed to interpose his shield in time. _But... Kevin doesn't _do_ that-_

He cut off his own thoughts, even as he began maneuvering to counterattack. It was clear by now that the Kevin Walker he knew was long gone, replaced by a calculating soldier who cared only about getting the job done... and he had to admit Kevin had done a very good job of catching him off-guard.

_No,_ Athrun thought, reconsidering his earlier thought,_ not a soldier; a _super_-soldier. But how...?_

He decided now wasn't the time to worry about it when another energy blast lanced out at him, and he finally came to the reluctant conclusion that he had no choice but to follow through on his words the day Lacus had been returned to him. He could afford to show no mercy now.

Athrun Zala, pilot of GAT-X303 Aegis, returned fire against someone who had once been one of his best friends.

* * *

_This is crazy,_ Kira thought to himself._ The Strike's the only thing we've got that'll do any good against G-weapons -well, it and Blade- so why haven't I been ordered to launch?_

He shook his head in frustration. Worse, perhaps, he'd been tapping into battle chatter... including the encrypted transmissions between Athrun and Kevin. The two were obviously engaged in battle now, and that was something he'd hoped would never happen again.

Of course, that wasn't the only problem. It was becoming increasingly clear to Kira that the Eighth Fleet was being torn apart. And if they were finished, _Archangel_ would doubtless be next.

The next thing he heard seemed almost to seal the Fleet's fate. _"The Duel and the Buster have broken through the frontlines!"_ Chandra reported over the intercom. _"The _Menelaos_ is engaged in combat!"_

Kira cursed. "Lieutenant La Flaga, if we don't do something-"

"Yeah, I know." The Hawk of Endymion keyed his own radio, connecting with the Bridge. "Captain! We need to be out there! How much time do we have?"

Ramius' image stared at him in disbelief from the screen. _"You've got to be kidding! You want us to-?"_

"According to the technical specs," Kira interrupted, "the Strike is capable of reentering the atmosphere independently."

If the Captain had been surprised before, she was at least twice as astonished now. _"Kira, what are you-? I thought you left!"_

"We've got other problems," he replied, shrugging it off. "What matters is that if this keeps up, the _Menelaos_ will be destroyed! Come on, Captain!"

Before Ramius could fully assimilate what was going on, Badgiruel came to a decision. _"All right, then. But return _before_ we reach Phase Three,"_ she added sternly. _"The specs may say it's possible, but it hasn't actually been tested outside the labs; we don't know what'll happen to the Strike's interior. Keep a constant eye on the altitude and time."_

"Yes, Ma'am!" Anything to be _doing_ something.

On the Bridge, however, Ramius looked down at her XO in anger. "Ensign Badgiruel!"

"If this ship is destroyed," the Ensign hotly replied, a slight catch in her voice, "then the sacrifices of the Eighth Fleet will have been in vain!"

She glared at her superior, and Ramius returned it in full.

* * *

Unaware of the clash of wills on the Bridge, Kira and La Flaga readied themselves for takeoff. "Even _I've_ never flown a sortie in _this_ kind of situation," the Hawk murmured. "Be careful out there, kid." 

"Right," Kira acknowledged.

The Moebius Zero moved into the port catapult. "Mu La Flaga, launching!" Rising from its support, the last remaining Zero shot forward under the invisible propulsion of magnetic repulsion.

Kira was next up, in the starboard launch bay. _Here goes,_ he thought, guiltily aware that Kevin's battle with the Aegis meant _he_ wouldn't have to face Athrun. _At least I won't have _that_ distracting me._ "Kira Yamato, launching!"

The _Vesalius_ took note of the action. "At a time like this," Le Creuset whispered, silently cursing. "Why now?" He turned his head to look at his ominous hired hand. "Was this Hydra's idea, you think?"

Invictus shook his head. "Unlikely. Judging from that hybrid machine's vector, he was headed for Earth when the battle started; I would guess he decided on his own to return, and someone on the legged ship with half a brain realized launching the Strike and the Moebius Zero would be a good idea."

"You're probably right," his employer agreed. "But I suppose one never knows, with _that_ man. His kind is dangerous as much for their minds as for their augmented bodies."

* * *

_This isn't how it should be,_ Kevin thought distantly, exchanging another round of fire with the Aegis._ This should be a clash of wills. A battle like this should be fought barehanded... in a minefield, maybe,_ the more manic part of his mind added.

Whatever he might have wanted, though, what he had was a battle between mobile suits, and it appeared he and Athrun were more or less equally matched.

"Tell me something, Athrun," Kevin began, twisting to one side to dodge a shot from Aegis' Scylla, "why do you think I'd leave my friends and join ZAFT?"

"Because it's where you belong," Athrun replied, wincing; a wince that became worse when he saw the Punisher put away its beam rifle and draw a saber instead. "You're a Coordinator, just like us-"

"So I should betray those who trust me with their lives, because their _genes_ are different?" Blade's teeth were bared in a snarl as he swept down with his saber; he noticed absently that his comrades had launched, with the Strike engaged in a running duel with the Duel. "I told you, that's foolish! And let me tell you something else," he added, blocking one of the Aegis' blades, "when we came aboard the _Archangel_, and Kira was revealed to be a Coordinator, four security guards immediately trained their weapons on him. But a good friend of mine -who happens to be a Natural- stepped between Kira and their guns. Is that the mark of someone who hates Coordinators? I don't think so."

"But still-"

Another slash cut Athrun off, forcing him to raise his shield. "And there's something else," Kevin continuing, voice rising. "You're asking me to basically turn my coat and _kill_ people who trust me! I already did that once, and I will _never_ do it again!"

Athrun was now getting nervous. The only time Kevin Walker shouted at all, much less in battle, was when his formidable self-control cracked. In the current situation, that could well mean his death.

"So what should I do?" he demanded. "Give up on talking, and kill you instead?"

"You're half-right," Kevin replied. "You give up on talking... but if you think you can kill a man who survived a close encounter with a fusion bomb, you're out of your mind."

"What are you talking about?" Athrun grew more confused every time he ran into his former friend; he kept alluding to some past incident which had scarred him, physically and emotionally, but refused to give specifics. "What happened to you?"

"If you're with ZAFT, you bloody well ought to know. But you know what they call me in the desert?"

He blinked at the apparent non sequitur, and was afraid to ask. But he did anyway. "What's that, Kevin?"

"Racher." Kevin's eyes were hard. "It means 'Revenger', and there's a very good reason I'm called that. Because three years ago, vengeance became my reason for living!"

"What?"

Elsewhere in the melee, Kira fought against the Duel with desperate haste. He could see the atmosphere was coming closer and closer all the time... and the Duel refused to let up. "You're finished!" Yzak snarled.

"Not a chance!" Beam sabers clashed, and they went at each other again.

* * *

It was around then that it became clear all was not right in another region. The _Gamow_ was edging ahead of her fellows, altering her vector to head straight for the _Menelaos_. 

"_Gamow,_ you're out too far!" Ades called from the _Vesalius_. "Just what are you doing, Zelman?"

_"We've cornered them,"_ Zelman replied defiantly._ "We can't let up now; that's Halberton's flagship. He's the one who started all this, and today we'll see the end of him _and_ the legged ship!"_

"You'll never make it!" Ades protested. "Even if that _Agamemnon_ doesn't get you, you'll never be able to pull out of the gravity well!"

"We know, Captain Ades. And it's a price we're willing to pay."

Zelman's image vanished, and Invictus slowly shook his head. "He's got guts, I'll grant him that. Too bad it's getting him and his entire crew killed."

"Yes..." Le Creuset agreed quietly. "No doubt if the attack succeeds, he'll get the Order of the Nebula... posthumously."

* * *

La Flaga saw the danger. "Not if I can help it," he whispered, and momentarily broke off his attack on the Buster to strafe the _Laurasia_-class. 

Unfortunately, under the circumstances a mobile armor's firepower was negligible; particularly against a ship already on a suicide run.

"I see your comrades are brave," Kevin commented to Athrun. "But they won't survive this."

"They might get the escape pods out," Athrun disagreed; they had both broken off fighting for a moment. They were, momentarily, more interested in events they could not affect than in blasting at each other.

"That they might. But they won't survive _me_, if I catch them some other time." Blade shrugged. "Though they're safe enough for now; I refuse to fire on escape pods."

It was inevitable. Within moments, the _Gamow_ was immolated by the _Menelaos'_ fire... but the _Menelaos_ herself was also doomed. She died soon after her victim, ripped apart by reentry.

No one noticed the shuttle of civilians that had made it off in the ship's last moments.

"Farewell, Admiral," Kevin said softly, sketching a salute.

On _Archangel_'s Bridge, Ramius silently wept. _Admiral..._ Rear Admiral Lewis C. Halberton had been her mentor throughout her career, had been the man behind the project which had produced the ship she now commanded... and now he was gone. For her, time seemed to stop.

For others, time was still moving, and fast. "We're nearly at Phase Three!" Neumann called. "One minute!"

"Order the Strike and the Zero to return at once!" Badgiruel snapped. "Blade, what about you?" Her opinion of the young soldier had changed drastically in the last few minutes.

_"Negative,"_ Kevin responded, already turning back to Athrun._ "You're headed for Alaska; I'm not. I'll be fine on my own."_

"Be careful, Blade," Ramius requested.

_"Always am..."_ He cut the connection.

* * *

The battle was all but over. The entire Eighth Fleet was gone, leaving only the _Archangel_; the _Gamow_ had been blown apart, leaving just the _Vesalius_ and the _Ziegler_, and their prey was rapidly descending toward Earth. 

"Blast!" La Flaga cursed, hearing the ship's recall order. "That's as long as I can go!" His Zero spun around and powered toward the _Archangel_, using its piton to haul itself in through the ship's massive aft hatch.

His erstwhile opponent, the Buster, was having his own problems. He'd reversed course, trying to boost himself into a higher orbit, but it wasn't working. "It's too late!" Dearka shouted over the radio. "I can't break free!" Now he had to hope the G-weapons were really as durable as they were supposed to be.

Blitz, Aegis, and Punisher were all safely above the point of no return, which left only the Strike and the Duel, which were still battling each other, while ignoring orders from their respective ships to return.

Kira, though, was finally getting the upper hand. He body-checked his adversary, then slammed the Strike's foot into the Duel's head, shoving him deeper into the atmosphere. "Take that!"

Yzak snarled in utter fury. "You _bastard!"_ He raised his beam rifle, taking careful aim at the now-retreating Strike, and began to pull the trigger... and the small, previously-unnoticed shuttle from the _Menelaos_ flew right through his sights, ruining him aim. _"What?"_

Kira's eyes widened in fear; and not at the sight of the beams blasting blindly toward him. "No, not now!" The shuttle, full of the people he'd escorted so far...

The Duel's white-haired pilot saw it, and mistook it for a troop transport. An understandable mistake, since it _was_ a military shuttle; it had been pressed into service for carrying refugees because of a unique set of circumstances, which one would not expect to occur to the angry pilot.

That misidentification was about to result in tragedy. "How dare you get in my way?" Yzak snarled, taking aim at the shuttle.

Kira kicked in the Strike's vernier's, trying to stop him. "Don't do it!" he shouted frantically. _"They're only civilians!"_

Yzak did not even hear him; and probably wouldn't have believed him if he had. "You soldiers wanna be cowards and run away, do ya?" He pulled the trigger.

The Strike raced across space, coming close, so close to intercepting the shot...

Kira didn't make it. The beam speared the shuttle an instant before the Strike could reach it, and an instant later it exploded. _"Nooooo!"_

Kevin's eyes were colder than the space surrounding him now, seeing those refugees murdered before his eyes. "How _dare_ you-!"

The Aegis' beam rifle had begun to lift again. "Kevin, what are you-" Athrun never finished the sentence.

Punisher's katana was suddenly out again, this time chopping off the barrel of Athrun's weapon. "Now you've done it, Athrun!" Kevin shouted in elemental rage. "Can you still claim to hold the moral high ground, after blowing dozens of innocent civilians away? Tell me, Athrun! Is _that_ the price of freedom?"

Athrun's eyes widened. "Civilians...? Kevin, what..."

"Forget it, Athrun," the Blade said harshly. "I'll say this now, 'old friend': what you have just done is beyond the pale. I swear to you that if we meet again, you are a dead man. Consider our friendship terminated."

The Aegis' pilot felt the blood drain from his face. If there was one thing that had _not_ changed about Kevin Walker, is was that fact that he never, _ever_ violated an oath. Combined with his newfound combat skills, Athrun Zala knew it was in his best interests if he stayed as far away from the Racher as possible.

Before he could think of anything else to say, the Punisher sheathed its weapon, turned, and activated its verniers. His course would take him down to Earth, and fast. One of his objectives would soon be within his grasp.

Kevin had no idea the other was in that region, as well...

* * *

By now, the _Archangel_ had reached Phase Three of atmospheric reentry, which that even had they been able to before, it was now totally impossible to recover the Strike. At least, impossible to bring it within the ship's hull. 

"Where's the Strike?" Ramius demanded. "Is he still all right?"

"It seems to be intact, Ma'am," Mir replied, "but Kira's not responding. And his descent point differs greatly from our own."

"And there's no way for him to get back here," Badgiruel mused grimly. "The Strike's thrusters aren't powerful enough to overcome the descent rate."

The Captain came to a quick decision. "Then we have no choice. Chief Neumann, bring us closer to the Strike at once!"

"But then the _Archangel_ will also miss its descent point!" Neumann protested.

"Making it there won't mean a thing if we lose the Strike," Ramius countered. "Without that, we stand no chance of reaching Alaska. Now do it!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

The_ Archangel_'s lateral maneuvering thrusters fired, bringing the ship slowly but surely closer to the falling Strike. Whatever Kira's condition now, he'd clearly been conscious at the start of his descent; his machine was on a proper descent profile, which was probably the only thing that had kept him alive till now.

It was obvious that he regained consciousness again once the _Archangel_ reached a position beneath him. The Strike flipped, going from head-down to feet-first, and touched down on the waiting deck.

"The Strike has landed on the ship," Pal reported, relieved.

"Kira, are you okay?" Mir called.

Kira did not have the strength to respond. He thought only, _Made it,_ before collapsing under the fierce heat against the seat straps.

* * *

In the deserts of the African Community, in a region once called Libya, a group of people wearing brown cloaks against the cold desert night watched the shooting star's descent. 

Only it wasn't a shooting star, their leader, Sahib Ashman, knew. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but through his binoculars he could clearly see it was a ship coming down from orbit, and headed for a landing not far away. _I wonder who they are?_

The blond-haired, golden-eyed young woman at his side stared through her own binoculars with narrowed eyes. _Could that be...?_

They were the Desert Dawn, a local group of guerrilla fighters facing off against ZAFT's legendary Desert Tiger. They were committed to forcing ZAFT off their land... and they weren't too fond of the Earth Alliance, either, which was why they were keeping such a close eye on arrivals from the sky.

Sahib glanced back at the huge man who stood at the young woman's shoulder, and got a nod in return. The man saw no danger at this point. _Not that he'd stop her from coming along even if he did,_ he thought with a mental snort. _Nobody can stop _that_ girl from going where she wants, when she wants!_ Being an old friend of the family, he knew her, and her bodyguard, well.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shout. "Sahib, look!"

The resistance leader looked nearly straight up, in time to see a much closer object dropping in on them. "What is that...?"

Whatever "it" was, it was coming in for a hard landing. The humanoid shape plummeted to the ground, swapping end-for-end at the last moment to land on its feet.

It sank to one knee almost immediately, giving Sahib and his fellows their first clear look at it. For starters, it had clearly started life as a ZAFT GINN, despite its ominous red-and-black stripes; but it had now been modified heavily, with the addition of a six-winged flight unit on its back, Earth Forces energy weapons on its hip and shoulders, and a gigantic samurai blade on its left hip.

"What in the world is that?" the girl's bodyguard, Ledonir Kisaka, wondered.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Sahib responded; and then broke off, seeing the bizarre machine's hatch open abruptly.

A figure in a flight suit with the same colors as his mobile suit stepped out onto the hatch, glanced around, and majestically toppled off, his helmet flying off in the process.

The sight broke the spell, and the resistance fighters quickly moved forward. Whoever he was, he was, his mobile suit's markings told them he wasn't affiliated with either side; which meant they had no reason not to help the man. Besides, he might prove useful...

* * *

A young guerrilla by the name of Ahmed was the first to reach the fallen pilot, who lay face-down in the sand, and reached out to roll him over. He immediately jerked his hand back. "Youch! Sahib, this guy's red-hot!" 

"Get some water over here!" Sahib ordered, and reached out himself. With infinite caution, minding the heat, he rolled the pilot onto his back... and gasped. _It can't be! He's dead!_ He knew those features well, however long it had been since he had seen them.

"What's wrong?" Kisaka asked him; unlike Ashman, he'd never seen the fellow in the flesh.

Sahib didn't answer, turning instead to the young woman. "Cagalli, come here. Isn't this...?"

Cagalli, the girl Kira had met on Heliopolis, came closer... and if anything, she was even more shocked than the guerrilla leader. "It can't be...!"

The sandy hair, the jade eyes staring unconsciously at the sky... they were features she had last seen on Heliopolis, on a young man with the strength of ten men and a virulent hatred of ZAFT.

_It can't be..._ she thought, staring at the unconscious youth._ He died, two years ago... But he was on Heliopolis... What's going_ on?

"It _is_ him, isn't it?" Sahib said softly, breaking into her thoughts. "There's no mistake?"

"One way to find out..." Cagalli whispered. Carefully, hand shaking, she reached for the pilot's right-hand glove and pealed it off... revealing what she had known would be there: a gold ring. Even without a closer look, she knew what was engraved upon it. Its twin yet remained upon her own finger. "Kevin...?"

The other resistance fighters had begun to recognize him, too, but under a different name. "Sahib, that's Racher!" one of the other guerrillas called, recalling the mysterious youth they'd helped reach Victoria spaceport two years before.

"That's not all he is," Sahib told them, feeling a profound sense of unreality. "Get him back to the camp. Now!"

A small group stayed behind to guard the hybrid machine, one of them tossing a duffel bag from the now-cooling cockpit to Kisaka, while the others loaded the unconscious Kevin Walker into a jeep.

Cagalli went with them. There was no way in the world she would allow _this_ patient to be taken away without her; especially since she knew far better than anyone else the impossibility of his presence.

Because he'd died in her arms, two years before, with a bullet through his heart.

* * *

Author's note: All right, the Eighth Fleet has been wiped out, the Punisher has seen its first battle, Kevin Walker has sworn to kill Athrun Zala, and now's come to Earth… and finally met the girl from Heliopolis once again. Soon, his past will be revealed, from his mysterious origins to the source of his skill and the reason he hates ZAFT. 

I was intending to upload this chapter over twenty-four hours ago, as it happens, but for some reason I was unable to log in (since nothing seems to have been updated since the 29th, I'm guessing I'm not the only who had this problem). But, now it's here.

Daniel Lynx, I have also played Battle Assault 3, and if I'm not greatly mistaken it's been highly underrated by most reviewers. It is, perhaps, not the best fighting game in existence, but it is far better than its critics claim.

You're correct, obviously, in that Kevin will soon be joining the _Archangel_ again, and that he realizes something isn't quite right with Flay; more will be revealed later. And as you can see, he's met Cagalli, even if he is unconscious. I trust the next chapter will meet with your approval.

NukeDawg, thanks for reviewing, and I hope the battle was acceptable.

Well, that should cover everything; now I shall post this (lest the site go to read-only mode again before I can). Read and review, would you? -Solid Shark


	10. Chapter 10: The Truth in the Scars

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

A finger pointed to a blue-colored section of map. "_This_ is Alaska, and _this_-" the finger moved to a red area, in north Africa "is _our_ location; right in the middle of ZAFT-controlled territory." Mu La Flaga shook his head. "We couldn't have picked a worse place to land." 

They were in the _Archangel_'s Captain's office, going over their situation, and Murrue Ramius sighed. "We didn't really have a choice. It was that or lose the Strike, and we couldn't afford to let that happen."

The newly-promoted Lieutenant Commander nodded wearily. "Yeah. So how _is_ Kira, anyway?"

"The Doctor says reentry heat knocked him out," she replied. "His fever is still running high, but he should be fine in a couple of days."

"Be glad the kid's a Coordinator." La Flaga sipped from a coffee mug. "Which reminds me: has there been any sign of Blade?"

Ramius shook her head. "No, unfortunately. We know he was intending to come here, and his descent vector matched up with it, but we haven't found any trace of him. Of course, with the N-jammers it's hard to see much of anything, and the sand dunes might be obscuring him, but..."

"Yeah." Kevin Walker, the enigmatic college student/super-soldier, had joined the ship at Heliopolis, played a perhaps critical role in getting them to Earth, and then left, taking his newly-upgraded mobile suit with him several hours before ZAFT began its attack on the Eighth Fleet.

But that had not been the last they saw of him. He'd turned up again halfway through the battle, destroying three GINNs in the process and providing them with escort until they reached atmospheric reentry. At that point, he'd broken off his attack on the Aegis and departed for the surface himself, and he hadn't been seen since. They knew, however, that he should be somewhere nearby; there was apparently someone in the African Community that he had a serious grudge against.

"Well," La Flaga said, setting down his cup, "I'm gonna go see how the kid's doing, then get some sleep." On his way out, he glanced back over his shoulder with a teasing look. "_You_ should get some shuteye too, you know. The Captain mustn't get herself all worn out and exhausted; not good."

* * *

Cagalli Yula Athha kept watch over the sole other occupant of the small cave, in the Desert Dawn's base camp. Her eyes were locked on his unconscious form, and her emotions in turmoil. _He's alive... But how? What's happened to him?_

On Heliopolis, he had stunned her when his face was revealed, and his name spoken. She'd known him under another name, but Kevin Walker was a known alias, and the face was unmistakable. The only problem was... he'd been dead for two years.

She looked again at the distinctive face. The sandy hair was considerably shorter than when she'd last known him -he'd once worn it as long as ZAFT's Rau Le Creuset did- but the jade eyes were the same as ever. And if the wicked scar was new, it at least made sense; the last time Cagalli had seen him, there were bandages covering the right half of his face.

The clothing wasn't a surprise, either. _"You know, Kevin,"_ she'd told him once, _"you have a heart of gold, but your fashion sense has gone over to the Dark Side."_ She herself hadn't quite understood the reference, but Kevin was an old movie buff, and laughed about it. It was true, though; for all his concessions to his noble birth, he never had worn anything resembling bright colors. It was always black, or, very occasionally, crimson.

That was all to be expected. But if it weren't for those few things, Cagalli would have thought this to be an entirely different person.

Just for starters, he was _extremely_ heavy; even her huge bodyguard Kisaka hadn't been able to lift the lean young man unassisted. Besides that, his body was one huge magnetic anomaly, causing compasses and even wristwatches to go crazy. Clearly, his body held deep and bizarre secrets.

Then there was his weaponry. When the guerrillas pulled him out of his flight suit -they'd dressed him in one of several identical outfits found in his bag- they'd found him practically covered in knives. Throwing knives up both sleeves, a 20-centimeter tanto-style combat knife strapped to his right leg, a Bowie knife on his belt -it appeared this was responsible for his current haircut- and even a boot knife. Then there was the pair of Colt Single Action Army, a.k.a. Peacemaker, .45 caliber revolvers tucked into his shoulder holsters, and the Colt 1911 autopistols in his bag. Not to mention the Claymore directional mines.

Yet all of this paled beside the fact that Cagalli knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this young man, who had once been her best friend, was dead.

It had been two years ago, she remembered. A year before, he'd gone back to space, telling her that this was the last time; after this one last diplomatic mission with his parents, he was coming home and staying there. Then his parents had died in a mass-driver accident engineered by Blue Cosmos, and Kevin himself had disappeared within days.

Then, a year later, Cagalli stumbled upon him in one of Orb's main hospitals, recovering from surgery. He seemed to be in a bad way, as if only now recovering from something considerably worse than whatever wounds had put him in the hospital.

He'd still recognized her, though, and she soon dragged him off to an outdoor restaurant to get the whole story from him... but he never had the chance to explain.

* * *

Flashback

* * *

Cagalli sat at a table across from her friend and leaned forward, gazing intently into his remaining eye. "So where've you been, Kevin?" she demanded. "A whole year, without a word? How could you?"

"I'm sorry," Kevin apologized, looking old far beyond his years. He'd just turned fifteen, yet something had changed. "It wasn't exactly my idea." He sighed wearily. "I don't even know where to begin. So much has happened since then..."

He broke off then, and Cagalli looked at him in concern. He was glancing about the area, as if looking for some kind of threat. "Kevin, what's wrong?"

He didn't reply at first. Then, "Down!" Kevin shoved the table at her, knocking her off her feet just as the first gunshot went off, narrowly missing Cagalli's head.

She stayed down, confused. "What's going on?"

He said something vile in Russian. "It's a bloody sniper," he muttered, drawing a ZAFT standard-issue machine pistol from under his jacket with literally inhuman speed. With reflexes faster than a rattlesnake, Kevin whirled, raising the pistol. "They've found me, the bastards!"

Two more shots sounded as one; there was not a fourth.

A figure on a rooftop across the street collapsed; Kevin's single shot had done its job, entering through the sniper's nose and blowing his brains and the back of his head off.

But Kevin was also falling, blood seeping from his chest. The sniper's second shot had not missed, and the youth's heart was gone.

Cagalli caught him as he fell. Not more than four seconds had elapsed, and he was, incredibly, still alive... though he wouldn't last long. "Kevin! Kevin, speak to me!"

His remaining jade eye, as unnaturally bright as ever, fluttered open. "Don't be... so sad, tovarisch," he managed. "It's... okay. I'll... be fine. Just a... just a... flesh wound. Don't worry about me..." His hand reached up, touched her face, and fell back. The young noble later to be known by his alias, Kevin Walker, was dead.

By the time medical help arrived, it was all over, and Cagalli cradled the motionless body in her arms, weeping.

* * *

End Flashback

* * *

_"They've found me,"_ Cagalli could remember him saying, that awful day. But, though she'd looked, she'd never learned who "they" were. And to make her loss complete, a proper burial had been impossible, for Kevin's body had simply vanished somewhere along the line. For two years, she'd simply assumed someone had managed to misplace it somehow; but, since his unconscious but very clearly living body was lying not two meters from her now, it appeared there was something else at work. 

She looked over at him again, and smiled. She knew not how he came to be here, battered but alive, but she didn't really care. All that mattered was that her best friend had returned to her at last.

Born on the same day, the daughter of Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha of Orb and the son of one of his political allies had grown up together. Although Kevin left for the Moon when he was six, he had returned to his homeland often, and the pair remained close friends throughout.

During this time, he'd begun his career as a fencer, quickly rising to the very top of the ranks. His skill was unrivaled, and he bested many an opponent twice his age or older. They'd given him a nickname then, and he'd been famous for it... but this career had led to unintended consequences.

The choice of such a gentlemanly pursuit, combined with their long-standing friendship, gave rise to an assumption among Orb's upper crust that Kevin Walker -who was not then known by that name- would, when they were old enough, be the consort of the Princess Cagalli Yula Athha.

That assumption rankled both of them very deeply. Oh, certainly, they were close, and Cagalli _had_ entertained thoughts of that nature from time to time, but it was nothing more than a fleeting thought, and such a casual _assumption..._

Then came the day Kevin returned to Orb, to change shuttles on his way to the PLANTs. He'd told Cagalli then that this was his last trip before he came home for good...

* * *

Flashback

* * *

"I'll be back soon," Kevin said, standing next to the shuttle he would soon be taking from Kaguya. "Dad promised me this is the last time, and then I'll be moving back home."

Cagalli smiled. "Great. Oh, yeah..." She dug into a pocket, and pulled out a gold ring. "Here," she said, handing it to him. "Don't forget us Earthbound while you're up in space."

Kevin examined it, noting the entwined K and C initials engraved upon it, and slipped it on. "Have I yet? I've spent more time in orbit than Orb, you know; but thanks." He gave his friend a quick hug, and stepped back. "I'd better go; don't want them to leave without me."

She snorted. "When you're the only passenger? Hah!" She was still smiling, though. "Hurry back, okay?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

End Flashback

* * *

That was the last time Cagalli had seen or heard from Kevin for a full year. Then, one day, she stumbled upon him in a hospital, half his face covered in bandages following the loss of his right eye and a good chunk of his face. There'd been a haunted look in his remaining eye, but he'd recognized her. It seemed as if things were finally going right for them. 

Then he was shot, and the future became a bleak thing indeed.

Now, though, he was back. Badly scarred, perhaps -there were some truly amazing scar patterns over his entire body- but very much alive.

It was obvious that the surgery Kevin had been recovering from that time had been more than merely repairs; the doctors had clearly managed to replace the missing eye, along with however much flesh had been blown away. _As handsome as ever,_ Cagalli thought fondly. _Not sure about that hair, though..._

She knew her mind was avoiding the one glaring difficulty that still remained: Kevin seemed to have no memory of her at all, now. On Heliopolis, there had been moments when he appeared on the verge of remembering, but the signs of recognition had quickly faded from his eyes; and before she could try to help him, Kevin's companion had shoved her into a shelter.

Cagalli had thought she would never manage to find him again, but now here he was, having crash-landed in the same stretch of desert she and her comrades now occupied. Now, perhaps, she could get some answers.

One particularly burning question pertained to his body; for even as she watched, the burns he'd suffered during reentry were healing themselves at a breakneck pace.

Cagalli shook her head and returned to her vigil. Whatever happened, Kevin would soon be awake; and she would be ready.

* * *

_"So, Hydra, you've come back to Earth," that insidious voice said in Kevin Walker's mind. "How perfect! The very hearths of the Naturals are within your grasp, Hydra!"_

_Shut up, Oracle. Get out of my mind; I vaporized you over two years ago._

_"Oh, but I made sure I would live on in you, my greatest creation. I ensured that my work would not die with me. I knew there was a chance a group as inherently unstable as your Destroyers might one day turn on me, but it was a price I was willing to pay, for the glory and liberation of the Coordinators!"_

_Get out of my mind! A ghost has no power over my Fate any longer!_

_"And what of the ghost of Medusa? Does Rachel Carver yet haunt you, Commander Walker? Do you still remember her screams, as you tore out her throat with your own fangs?"_

_Don't remind me of that, you bastard! And it was all your fault, anyway! _You_ made me what I am!_

_"A monster, you mean?"_

_Yes, curse you, a monster; but a monster who fights for what _he_ chooses! A monster who ensured no others will have their lives ruined as you ruined mine!_

_"That's enough, Hydra! Now, it's past time you were about your mission: the extermination of all Naturals!"_

_Shut_ up!

* * *

Cagalli had nearly dozed off when something caught her attention. A feeling, almost subliminal... something most people would never have noticed at all. Even for her, it took a few moments, because it had been so long since she experienced the unique sensation. 

She was one of a very few people alive who knew Kevin Walker's deepest secret, that of his zoanthrope power. And because she knew, because he'd taught her how, she could tell when he awoke.

Outwardly, he had not changed at all; even the rhythm of his breathing remained constant. But Cagalli could feel his suddenly questing mind, seeking out with his empathic sense -which seemed somehow stronger than it once had- for presences. Ordinarily, only a zoanthrope could have sensed the probe, but Kevin had taught her much; and she struggled to recall mental exercises he had demonstrated.

Cagalli opened her mind, allowing his searching mind to sense her welcome and joy at his survival; and that was sufficient to make him drop the charade.

"That's impossible," the familiar voice murmured, sounding almost dazed in his confusion. "No normal human being should have been able to feel that."

_So it's true,_ she thought with a pang._ He _doesn't_ remember me._ "You taught me, Kevin, a long time ago. Remember?"

"No, I don't..." Jade eyes opened, and Kevin Walker cautiously sat up, cataloguing his injuries through his cybernetics. "Where... am I?"

"The African Community," Cagalli answered. "The Libyan desert. This is the Desert Dawn resistance group's main camp."

"The Desert Dawn... Should've figured I'd run into them again out here." He shook his head, trying to clear it, and carefully stood. Now more or less awake, his eyes were focused intently on her, his mind turned inward, searching. "That just leaves one question: who are _you_?"

"Don't you remember?" She couldn't believe, even now, that he could somehow have forgotten his best friend. "It's only been a couple years, Kevin."

Kevin rubbed his temples. "I know that I know you," he whispered, "but I don't know how, or why." He raised one hand to forestall comment. "My memory isn't working right, okay? It got wiped a while back, and I still haven't recovered all the pieces."

_So that explains it,_ Cagalli thought with sudden anger. "Whoever did this to you is going to die," she hissed. "Slowly, and painfully."

He managed a weary chuckle. "You're a little late, I'm afraid... They died thirty months ago. Those I didn't kill personally were incinerated by the nuclear blast."

"That's something, at least." _So how do I help him? If just seeing me didn't do it..._ "You're name isn't Kevin Walker, right? Your _real_ name, I mean?" She got a nod, and plunged ahead. "And you used to be a fencer, in Orb. The best, right?"

"That's right," Kevin concurred. "Until my noble parents got their noble guts squished into human-flavored toothpaste by Blue Cosmos sabotage."

She sighed in relief. "Well, you're definitely the right guy, then." A thought occurred to her. "How much do you remember about what happened two years ago?"

"Two years ago..." He didn't need to think long. "Two years ago, I was chased through the Debris Belt by a gang of pirates, descended from orbit, and crashed someplace. I vaguely recall a hospital, where I suppose I got my face fixed, and then nothing until I woke up in a fightcraft over the Pacific Ocean, with a scar over my heart."

"So you don't remember dying, then," Cagalli said, as much to herself as to him.

"Dying?" Kevin's gaze sharpened. "So _that's_ what happened... must've reactivated whatever traces remained of the memory-wiping chemicals... So how did I die?"

She winced. "It was an outdoor restaurant, in Orb. I'd just run into you in the hospital, and we went there to talk. You were about to tell me where you'd been, when..."

Her words triggered a surprising reaction: he collapsed to his knees, holding his head as the mother of all headaches threatened to split his head apart.

_"It's a bloody sniper," Kevin hissed._ It must be ZAFT,_ he thought. _How did they find me?_ It didn't really matter now. He came to his feet, spun around, and yanked out the machine pistol he still carried. "They've found me, the bastards!" His unnaturally-keen eyes spotted the sniper, and his pistol went off with unerring accuracy._

At the same instant, he felt his chest burning, and realized he'd been hit. A normal human being, even a Coordinator, would have bled out in four seconds. With his augmentation, he would last eight. Either way, he was a dead man.

He was vaguely aware of his best friend catching him, shouting at him, pleading with him to say something. His breath failing him, he managed to gasp something out, and then the pain, the all-consuming pain engulfed him...

"The sniper," Kevin whispered. "I got him, and then I came back, dragged away his body, and left that note... I remember now..." He pulled himself upright, a look of vast relief and -finally- recognition in his eyes. "Cagalli, I-"

That was as far as he got before Cagalli threw herself at him, knocking him off his feet in a fierce embrace. "I thought you were gone," she whispered. "I thought I'd never see you again, and then there you were, on Heliopolis..."

"It's okay, tovarisch," he said soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere now. If anything ever tries to get between us again," he added, long-forgotten feelings, feelings he would never admit, smoldering back to life, "they'll be very, very dead by the time I'm through with them."

* * *

A little later, Kevin leaned against one wall of the cave, looking pensive. "I guess you've got a couple of million questions for me, right?" he said finally. 

Cagalli glared at him, though she couldn't really put any strength in it. "Of course I do. Like where have you been, and how did you pull off those moves I saw on Heliopolis? Even a Coordinator shouldn't have been able to do that, and I know _you_ couldn't three years ago."

"That's true, I couldn't." He shrugged. "Well, answer one question, and I answer the other. The tales are inextricably linked, one and the same."

She rolled her eyes. "I see you still like to speak in riddles."

"I have my moments," Kevin admitted. "Well. Where to begin? First off, like I told you two years ago, my disappearance wasn't exactly my idea." He looked up, an odd look in his jade eyes. "Tell me: have you ever heard of Project ABADDON?"

Cagalli frowned. "Orb Intelligence heard rumors about something like that. Some kind of super-soldier program ZAFT was running, involving some pretty horrible experiments. We were never able to confirm its existence though; so how do you-?" She broke off, eyes wide. "Oh, Kevin..."

He nodded, smiling humorlessly. "That's right, tovarisch. Over three years ago, a man who went by the codename Oracle presented a plan to his superiors in ZAFT; a plan to use the best and brightest Coordinators that could be found as the basis of a new, elite unit. Using the latest, most cutting-edge technologies, a group of twelve young Coordinators would be cybernetically augmented, and trained via experimental chemical-learning techniques. The plan was approved, and recruitment began right around the time my parents died." His face twisted with remembered pain and hate. "Oracle found me then, saw how much my abilities exceeded even other Coordinators, and he had me kidnapped. Officially, of course, all the members of the unit were volunteers. The _truth_, however, is that one test subject was kidnapped... and then tortured, for about two weeks."

Cagalli gasped. "What kind of sick madman would...!"

"Oh, he was a madman, all right," Kevin agreed. "Mad as a hatter, the stereotypical mad scientist. He was also brilliant, which was probably the only reason ZAFT tolerated him. But despite his brilliance, it took him two weeks to realize torture wouldn't turn me into the loyal ZAFT soldier he wanted; that's where all those scars come from. When he finally _did_ realize his error, he turned to mind-wiping drugs. With my memory gone, it was a relatively simple matter to mold my mind into the proper form." He smiled again, this time with an edge of malice. "But, brilliant though he may have been, Oracle didn't think to run a test for zoanthrope genes."

She winced, at the same time feeling a certain satisfaction. "And _that_ means, after a while, you..."

"Right." There was _definitely_ malice in his eyes now. "As Oracle knew, but didn't think to connect with me, chemical brainwashing doesn't last that long on zoanthropes. So six months into the Project, I woke up one night with no memory of my identity, but plenty of memories of torture and indoctrination... and I went berserk." A shadow entered his eyes now, and he actually shuddered. "I don't like to remember that night. And usually, I don't. But the things that I did... I'll never forget." He met her eyes. "I slaughtered them, Cagalli. I broke out, and I killed everyone in the lab. I transformed, destroyed everything and everyone in my path; and those I didn't kill myself, I vaporized at the end of it all. The lab was out at L2, you see, beyond the moon; so nobody was likely to really notice if someone set off a nuclear device... such as the five-megaton thermonuclear fusion self-destruct device the lab was equipped with. I set it off, that night."

Cagalli stared at him, trying and failing to imagine what kind of horrors her best friend had experienced. "So that was it?" she said softly. "You triggered the bomb, and got off before everything exploded?"

"No," Kevin said, surprising her. "I didn't get clear at all. In fact, my last memory of that place is feeling the searing heat of the blast. Then I woke up a few hours later, in an escape pod." He chuckled dryly. "Death doesn't like me, I guess." He shrugged again. "And after that, well, I started my globe-trotting under various identities, fought off a few dozen Blue Cosmos attacks, and eventually ended up being taken in by a friend's family, on Heliopolis."

"And you were there for, what, a year before the attack?" she mused. "But you still haven't told me exactly how you did those things during the fighting."

He gazed thoughtfully at his right hand, absently flexing one powerful arm. "Project ABADDON," he said finally. "The codename is the Hebrew word for Destroyer, and that's what we were. Super-soldiers, in essence. And what made us what we were was a process known as cybernetic augmentation." He straightened from his place at the wall. "My body is approximately twenty-percent mechanical these days; my skeleton is nearly unbreakable, being reinforced with mobile suit-grade battle armor. My musculature is comparably enhanced, with powered actuators increasing my strength far beyond human norm. I can literally tear apart battle tanks with my bare hands, and my reaction speed is well beyond that of a rattlesnake. Additionally, they outfitted me with nanotech repair systems, allowing me to heal so fast it takes an extraordinary blow to kill me, and I'm capable of generating an electromagnetic field on a peculiar frequency in order to deflect fast-moving metallic objects... like bullets. That's all the basic package; I also have a computer implant, utilizing technology that allows me to direct-link with computers, a method of hacking which is both unstoppable and untraceable by current technology. Add in little things like an internal pharmacopoeia with things like coagulants, painkillers, and reaction-enhancing drugs, and you've got a Destroyer."

Cagalli gaped. "You're serious?"

"As a heart attack." Kevin picked up a chunk of rock from the cave floor, held it in one hand, and squeezed. Dust and gravel fell from his grip. "I know it's hard to believe -and believe me, I wish _I_ didn't have to believe it, either- but it's the truth... and it's why I've been on the run for years."

Her eyes narrowed. "Two years ago... it was ZAFT that killed you, wasn't it?"

"I presume so; aside from Blue Cosmos, I can't think of anyone with that much of a grudge against me, and those bastards would have claimed responsibility for the hit." He looked away. "Cagalli... the boy you knew is dead. You know that, don't you?"

Cagalli frowned at the abrupt change in his demeanor. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm a monster, tovarisch." Kevin's eyes were filled with a pain not of the flesh. "Monsters we were named for -my codename was Hydra- and monsters we were. I proved that, the day I killed them all, and the proof remains an integral part of me. Curse it!" He slammed his fist into the rock wall. "Oracle's work corrupted us all, and I may well be the worst! All the people I've killed... everything I've done... a monster such as I has no right to exist!"

"Get hold of yourself, Kevin!" she snapped. "What someone else did to you isn't your fault!"

"Oh, really?" He clenched his fists, extending the lethal claws with which he'd killed several of Gerard Garcia's men. "You have no idea what I did, Cagalli. No idea at all. First I killed -_murdered_- my fellows, people who trusted me with their lives, and then I traveled the world, killing again and again and again to survive. Over three hundred people have died at my hands, Cagalli!" He hissed, trembling; whether from fury or revulsion, she couldn't tell. "You'd be doing the whole world a favor if you shot me, you know."

Cagalli considered that, and what he'd just explained to her, for several moments. _I won't lose him again,_ she promised herself. _Not this time!_

Finally, her hand reached toward her belt. "Okay." She drew the sidearm she always carried in the desert.

Under any other circumstances, it would not have worked. Had Kevin not been distracted, had his EM field been set up to protect his armored skull, it wouldn't have worked. But since neither was the case, Cagalli's bullet caught him in the middle of his forehead.

Kevin cut off mid-rant and dropped like a rock to the cave floor.

She held her breath for several seconds, praying that she'd been right about how well his skeletal reinforcement would protect his head against bullets... praying that she hadn't just killed him herself.

Then, finally, Kevin rose unsteadily to his feet. "You... shot me..." he whispered.

"Well, you told me to, didn't you?" Cagalli shot back. "And did you really think I was going to give up on you now? But maybe you're right," she went on, raising the gun again. "Maybe the boy I knew _is_ dead, and maybe you _should_ die. In that case..."

This time he reacted, hand moving in a blur to strike her wrist. "No!" The pistol went flying, only to be shot in midair by the revolver that had suddenly materialized in his other hand.

"Now that's more like it," Cagalli said, satisfied. "_That's_ the Kevin I know." Then she winced, rubbing her wrist. "But you know, that really hurt."

"How do you think _I_ feel?" Kevin demanded. "You just gave me the worst headache I ever had." He slumped against the cave wall. "Thanks."

She moved over to lean next to him. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his head, feeling the spot where the fast-moving projectile had struck him. "Can't say that was the most pleasant thing I ever had happen to me, but I think it worked; seems to have finally kicked Oracle out of my skull. I don't know what the crazy bastard did, or how he did it, but he's been haunting me ever since I killed him. It was starting to drive me mad. Literally." The super-soldier glanced at the gun that now lay on the cave floor, looking the worse for wear after being shot. _Makes me think of how Cap'n Ramius and I met._ "I seem to have ruined your sidearm," he said aloud. "Here."

He reached into his jacket, disconnected one of his holsters from its rig, and handed it to her. "This is an antique," Cagalli murmured. "I've never seen anything like them outside a museum, or your collection back in Orb; and I'm pretty sure you haven't been back there in a while."

"True enough," Kevin concurred. "A Russian friend of mine gave them to me. And don't underestimate it simply because it's old. This is the greatest handgun ever made: the Colt Single Action Army." He drew his remaining revolver and spun its cylinder. "Six bullets; more than enough to kill anything that moves. I should know, I once had to test it on an elephant, in a Beijing zoo. Rest assured, that ammo will kill anything."

"Liquid Teflon hollowpoints, huh?" She lifted one of the bullets. "You don't mess around, do you?"

"No, I don't. Especially since there's the remote possibility that more Destroyers could someday be created; if they are, I don't trust any other ammo to kill them."

"I can see that." Cagalli holstered the weapon and attached it to her belt. "But you know, you never used to be a gunfighter. You preferred swords, before."

"Yeah. Before." Kevin shrugged. "What can I say? A rapier doesn't have anything for range, and a gun is a lot easier to haul around -and conceal."

"I guess so." She smiled suddenly, looking over at him. "So tell me what's been going on, the last few years, how you've been. You're as handsome as ever," she added, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

"Handsome? Me? Hah! Yeah, right." He grinned back, feeling better than he had in years. "You're not so bad, yourself, you know. But as for how I've been doing, well... rotten, at least until this last year. Things on Heliopolis weren't so bad, though..."

* * *

Kilometers away, on the _Archangel_, Kira Yamato was being tended in the Infirmary, by Flay Allster, while his friends consulted with the ship's doctor, Calvin Hibson. 

"...so, like I was telling you," the Doctor was saying, "there seems to be no internal damage. All we can really do for now is give him plenty of liquids and try to lower his body temperature."

"That's it?" Sai Argyle questioned, worried.

The doc shrugged. "Well, this _is_ the first time I've ever had to give medical treatment to a Coordinator, but I know the basics. He may _look_ like the rest of us, but his internal capabilities are _completely_ different. He has a body capable of a greater strength, and a mind capable of acquiring more knowledge, and so on. Did you hear about the temperatures he was exposed to inside his mobile suit's cockpit?"

Miriallia Haw blinked at the apparent non sequitur. "No, we didn't, actually."

"Well, I can assure you none of _us_ would have survived." Hibson shrugged eloquently. "This fever's _nothing_ compared to that. Coordinators are very durable, you know. Oh, a bullet might prove fatal, and he may get sick occasionally; but it would be a greater danger to us than to him."

A frightening thought suddenly occurred to Tolle Koenig. "But, if that heat was so great, what about Blade? Wherever he ended up, I know he wasn't as well shielded as even Kira was, and with that weird mobile suit he was flying..."

The Doctor shook his head, smiling reassuringly. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about _him_, if I were you. I never had the opportunity to examine him -he seemed to avoid the Infirmary like the plague while he was aboard- but I _can_ tell you that there is something very strange about young Mr. Walker. I'm reliably informed that he's survived things much worse than even atmospheric reentry, so wherever he is, I doubt it did much more than knock him unconscious for s few minutes."

"I... see..." Sai said softly. He glanced over at Kira, still being watched by Flay. "His capabilities are completely... different..."

"La Flaga here," said a voice at the hatch. "I'm coming in." The hatch slid aside, and La Flaga stepped in. "Is there... something I should know about?" he asked, seeing the volunteers gathered there.

"Oh, not at all," Hibson assured him. "I was just taking the time to explain to these young people about Ensign Yamato's health..."

* * *

Far away, in space, an armored man stood in Rau Le Creuset's office on the _Nazca_-class _Vesalius_. "May I have a word with you, sir?" 

His employer raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "Yes, Invictus? What is it?"

"It's time, Commander." Invictus leaned against the bulkhead, metallic voice serious; behind the helmet, his jade eyes were calm and purposeful.

"And what time would that be?" Le Creuset asked, though he had a good idea of it. He'd been expecting it for some time now.

"I told you the day I entered your employ, sir, that I could not accept hire on permanent retainer. I told you that one day, circumstances would change, and it would be time for me to leave." Invictus paused. "That day is now, Commander. I feel it is time for me to take my leave of your employment."

"I see." The Commander steepled his fingers. "Going freelance, then? Or do you have a more specific goal in mind?"

"Respectfully, sir, I decline to answer that question," the assassin said calmly. "All I can say is that I believe it is time for me to move on."

Le Creuset nodded slowly. "Very well, then, Invictus. I'll have your shuttle prepped immediately. Will you be heading directly for the PLANTs, will you be traveling aboard the _Ziegler_ as she returns to port?"

"My shuttle doesn't have that kind of range," Invictus pointed out dryly. "The _Ziegler_ will be fine. But if you'll excuse me, I'll travel armed."

"Still don't trust me, eh?" The masked man chuckled. "Hardly surprising; I don't trust you entirely, either." His former employee didn't react; both had known from Day One that neither fully trusted the other. "Well, in any case, your mission here proved to be a moot point," Le Creuset conceded. "I never thought it possible that the legged ship to be that much of a problem, particularly with it seeming so shorthanded, and with only two mobile suits and a mobile armor."

"Let this be my final piece of advice for you, Commander," Invictus said, turning toward the hatch. "Don't underestimate a ship with Coordinators aboard... and never, _ever_ use the word 'impossible' when Commander Walker is involved."

"Granted," his former employer admitted. "Well, Invictus, good luck."

"I don't need luck," the assassin replied as the hatch closed. "I'm Death Incarnate, aren't I?"

"Yes..." Le Creuset said to himself, after his former minion had gone. "Yes, I suppose you are. But your usefulness has come to an end." He tapped a key on his desk's intercom panel. "Prepare to relay a message to Committee Chairman Zala's agents onboard the _Ziegler_," he ordered.

* * *

The assassin known as Invictus watched his instruments very carefully on the way to the _Ziegler_. He had a feeling that all was not right in his personal corner of the universe, and he, like Kevin Walker, had long ago learned to trust such instincts. 

At the moment, his instincts were telling him that someone was about to try to kill him. He didn't think they had anything to do with his old boss -though he knew he could be wrong- but he rather suspected Patrick Zala, one of the few aware of his existence, was not very fond of him. The head of ZAFT obviously had no idea who or what the assassin really was, but if he saw him as an obstacle to his plans, or even a potential obstacle, he would not hesitate to have the armored man removed.

Nearing his destination, Invictus closed his eyes, stretching ahead with his extra senses. Like Kevin Walker, he was a zoanthrope... and his abilities were slightly different from those of his physical duplicate. He was more attuned to those who would do him harm; he might perhaps not be as good at dealing with them, but he could usually feel those who would do him harm long before they attempted it.

_Aha,_ the assassin thought._ I'd better be ready... and I think I'd better lift for Earth, not the PLANTs..._

* * *

On the _Archangel_, Kira's eyes fluttered open in the Infirmary. _Wha... Where... am I...?_ The last thing he could remembering was searing, unbelievable heat... 

The curtain next to his bed slid aside, revealing Flay. "So you're finally awake," she said, with a peculiar smile. The smile immediately turned to a look of concern when he tried to push himself upright. "Oh! You shouldn't try to sit up so quickly!"

Kira allowed himself to be lowered back to the bed; he realized now that he really did need the rest. "Flay...? Where am I?"

"In the ship's Infirmary," she replied. "You've been asleep for hours."

He noticed about then that he actually had weight. "Gravity... So we must have landed safely, right? After the battle?"

Flay nodded. "We landed on Earth, in a desert; we arrived sometime last night." She paused. "The Doctor says you'll be fine soon; you just need plenty of rest."

"Right..." Kira remembered something else, from the battle. "Hey... Has there been any sign of Blade? I know he was headed down, too..."

Something flickered in her eyes, but it was gone before he could notice. "No, nothing. He never came back to the ship, so I guess he must have come down on his own. But the Doctor said he should be all right, wherever he is."

"Good..." He managed a weak smile. "Thanks."

_As long as he doesn't show up here again,_ Flay thought._ I've heard what those shape-shifters can do. He might figure it out, and ruin everything..._

* * *

"I went over the manual last night," La Flaga was saying in the hanger, "and this baby sure looks like a lot of fun." 

"Top of the line," Chief Petty Officer Kojiro Murdoch assured him. "Latest model."

The pair were looking over one of three new additions to the _Archangel_'s hanger: a trio of FX-550 Skygraspers. They were atmospheric fighters, not unlike the craft Kevin Walker had flown a time or two. Unlike those, however, these were state-of-the-art, designed specifically to support Kira's Strike.

"I'm sure they are," La Flaga said in reply, "and it's great that the Striker packs can be mounted onto them, but what am I now, a delivery boy?" He sounded rather plaintive, though he knew as well as the mechanic that while the Skygraspers were intended in part to resupply the Strike mid-battle, they were also capable of the using the Striker packs' weaponry themselves.

"Well, Lieutenant -whoops, sorry, Commander," Murdoch corrected himself, "at least with you in the cockpit, all deliveries are guaranteed, whether day or night."

The Hawk snorted. "I'm grateful to the Admiral for the promotion," he commented, examining the plane's underbelly, "but little good it does me in _this_ situation." He proceeded to kick the front tire (an exercise which was rather pointless in this day and age; with modern aircraft, the air pressure in the tires was so great that kicking them provided no information other than the fact that it was there; but, traditions were stronger than rational arguments). "I mean, the pay raise is gratifying and everything," he went on. "But when can I spend it?"

"Well, your back pay should be pretty impressive, when we get back to friendly territory." Murdoch chuckled. "Hey, even the kid's won't be bad; they've made _him_ and Ensign already. Guess it makes sense; he _is_ a pilot, after all."

"And the rest are all Crewman 2nd class." La Flaga shook his head. "Man oh man."

"Ah, they'll turn into great soldiers before you know it." The mechanic raised an eyebrow. "By the way, how's the kid's fever?"

"I hear it went down a little while; they tell me he's even awake." The pilot shook his head again. "Honestly, I'm not sure whose construction is more impressive: the Strike's or that youngster's." He paused, scratching his head. "By the way, do you have any idea why Kira keeps referring to that mobile suit as the 'Gundam'?"

"Oh, that." Murdoch laughed. "It appears on the activation screen. General Unilateral Neurolink... something or other. Anyway, take the first letter from each word and that's what you get." He shrugged. "Makes more sense than the military simply calling them G-weapons."

"That's true. Say..." La Flaga said, remembering something, "do you think Blade's okay? The Strike got pretty hot as it was, and _it_ was able to use the _Archangel_ as a shield most of the way down. How well would that weird hybrid thing you came up with have dealt with it?"

"Well..." Murdoch looked a little unhappy. "To be honest, Commander, if it weren't for how durable that kid is, I would've told him not to even try it. I'm sure Punisher held up, but it probably got more than a little toasty in there. But I remember you told me something about seeing him in action as the Crimson Tiger, and I was there when he blitzed Garcia's aide, so I figured he could probably handle it."

"You're probably right." The Hawk frowned. "But where is he now, I wonder?"

* * *

In the _Archangel_'s cafeteria, four of the six students remaining on the ship were discussing Kira's condition. "Really?" Mir was saying. "Kira's already regained consciousness?" 

"Yeah," Tolle confirmed. "It happened just a little while ago."

"The Doctor says he's okay," Sai continued, "so they transferred him back to his quarters. Flay went over there a little while ago to take his meal to him."

At that moment, the hatch opened and Flay herself entered, carrying a pair of empty meal trays. "Hello, everyone."

"Hi, Flay," Mir greeted. "So how's Kira?"

"He seems to be recovering nicely," the red-haired girl replied. "His appetite didn't suffer, anyway; I just finished eating with him." Then, under her breath, "It's vital that Kira gets better as quickly as possible."

Mir couldn't quite make out the words, though they made her feel vaguely unsettled. "Well, I'm glad to here he's okay."

"You must be tired," Sai commented. "You were by Kira's side all night, weren't you? You should get some rest, too."

"I'm doing just fine, really," Flay assured them. "Besides, it's not like I have an actual job on this ship yet; not like the rest of you." Under her breath: "His body really is different... the things he can do..." Had Kevin Walker been present, he would doubtless have been very suspicious... particularly since his still-evolving empathic abilities had begun to allow him to sense emotions, as well as presences... "Anyway," she went on aloud, "I'm going to go back to his quarters to check on him. He's had a rough time."

Flay headed for the hatch, and something about her tone caused Sai to get up and follow her. "Uh, Flay-"

Her reaction startled everyone. _"What?"_ She seemed almost... angry at her fiancé.

Sai drew back a step, startled. "Well, nothing really, but..."

"Sai," she said, voice low but still audible to everyone, "our relationship was something arranged by my father. But as you can see, he's no longer around. So I don't see any reason why we should remain bound by it." She turned to look at him, a peculiar smile on her face. "It was just a verbal agreement, that's all. We might as well just forget it." And with that, Flay left.

"Flay, I-" Thoroughly perplexed and worried, Sai turned away. _What's going on?_

Mir looked over at Tolle. "I wish Blade was still here," she said softly. "I don't know what's going on... but I bet _he_ could figure it out."

"Yeah," her boyfriend agreed. "They say zoanthropes are mild empaths; and everything I ever saw of him said he was stronger than most."

"Or maybe he was just a clever bastard," Kuzzey muttered under his breath. He hadn't fully trusted the enigmatic super-soldier since learning of his previous identity as the Crimson Tiger. Being thrown halfway across the ship when caught eavesdropping had sealed it; and the utter lack of sympathy from the others hadn't helped.

* * *

In his new quarters (he had solo accommodations now, since he was an officer), Kira sat on the edge of his bunk, Birdy on his finger, brooding. 

An interesting reversal of roles, he knew. Used to be, it would be his good friend Kevin brooding, off in some distant corner of the ship. _Kevin would have stopped the Duel,_ he thought moodily. _Nothing ever stopped that guy. But it was me, wasn't it? _I_ was the one who failed those people. I'm useless!_ A flash of resentment. _Maybe Kevin could've done it; but he's gone now. He left us!_

Even after all the times they'd talked on the way to Earth, Kira hadn't truly believed Kevin would abandon them like that. And when Kira enlisted, he'd somehow expected Kevin to do the same. After all, they'd been through a lot together, and the one time they'd really been apart, it apparently hadn't been Kevin's idea.

But this time, the departure had been _entirely_ deliberate, and a part of Kira couldn't help but suspect that he'd arranged things like this intentionally. _He didn't care about those civilians,_ he thought bitterly. _All he cared about was getting to Earth to go kill people he thought needed killing._

A moment later, Kira winced, ashamed of himself for thinking something like that. _No, that's not true. Kevin did the best he could; with the Commander and me busy, he was the only one who could defend the _Archangel_. And if he isn't here now, it's because there's other things he needs to do._ One thing of which Kira could be certain: Kevin Walker did not abandon his friends. Ever.

_But _what_ is he up to?_ Familiar puzzlement took over, along with the undirected rage he felt whenever he considered what had happened to his friend. Kira didn't know exactly what it was, or who had done it, but something had changed his easy-going, live-and-let-live buddy into this dark, moody creature who seemingly lived only to exact vengeance._ Who did it to you, Kevin? And what did they do?_

Something Kevin had said during their last talk with Athrun, after freeing Lacus Clyne, came to mind; something he'd puzzled over ever since. _"If you think a mere Coordinator such as yourself can kill me, Athrun," _he'd said, _"then you are welcome to try."_

_"Mere Coordinator",_ Kira thought, frowning._ What's _that_ supposed to mean? He's a Coordinator, too, isn't he? And if he isn't, then what _is_ he?_

He remembered something La Flaga had mentioned from even earlier, a discussion on the Bridge regarding Miss Clyne. As Kevin was leaving, Badgiruel had said, _"Besides, I'm not even sure that you're human."_

Blade's response had been very cryptic: _"Did I ever claim to be?"_

That, combined with everything he'd seen the youth do in the last three weeks, left Kira very confused. Kevin _had_ to be human, after all; there was certainly no doubt of _that!_ But if he wasn't a Coordinator... _Did he mean he's really a Natural?_ Kira wondered, then instantly dismissed the thought. _No way. Not with the things he can do; and he wouldn't be talking about "mere" Coordinators then._

He finally gave up trying to understand the Mysteries of the Universe, as Personified by Kevin Walker. Kevin was fallible, and that meant he was just a Man, whatever his fancy tricks; and that was really all that mattered, wasn't it?

But that brought Kira right back to his original dilemma. Because of _his_ fallibility, dozens of civilians were now dead... and it was all his fault.

Blaming the pilot who actually did the deed did not, of course, occur to him.

Kira was still wallowing in self-hate when a voice spoke at his door. "Kira?"

It was Flay Allster.

* * *

Kilometers away, Kevin Walker and Cagalli Yula Athha finally left the cave, where they'd spent the first night and most of the following day talking. After that, they'd both gotten some much-needed rest; and now that it was night once again, Sahib Ashman had called for them both. 

"Something I think you should see," he told Cagalli, out of earshot of the other guerrillas. "Maybe you can tell me what it is." He noticed Kevin's approach. "Ah, finally awake, eh, Baron?"

"Don't call me that," the noble soldier snapped. "Especially not where others might hear. The desert has ears, Sahib, and I hate that title with a passion. As far as the Desert Dawn is concerned, I am Kevin Walker, or Racher, if you prefer."

"Understood," Sahib agreed. A friend of the Athha family, he'd come into contact with the youth many a time, and knew well his hatred of his own noble birth. "Well then, Racher, shall we away, ere break of day?"

_I hate it when he starts quoting Tolkien at me,_ Kevin thought gloomily._ Just because I happened to say something about "Now for wrath, now for ruin, and a red dawn" the last time I was out here under my own name... Ugh._ Sahib Ashman was a man of the desert, and therefore rather grim, but he did possess a sense of humor._ Unfortunately._

"To claim our long-forgotten gold?" he quoted back. "All right, then, let's go." _Anything to shut him up..._

* * *

An hour later, even as most of the _Archangel_'s crew slept, even as Flay Allster comforted a heartsick and guilt-ridden Kira Yamato, all the while plotting to weave her webs of deceit and vengeance, the small group of Desert Dawn guerrillas watched the ship. 

"I've really only seen pictures," Cagalli murmured, looking at the great white vessel through binoculars, "but I'd still stake my life on it. That is the Earth Forces new Mobile Assault Ship, constructed at the former Orb resource satellite of Heliopolis. It's known as the-"

"_Archangel_," Kevin finished for her. "You're right, tovarisch, that's the ship."

"How did you know?" she demanded; they hadn't yet gotten to that part of his tale.

"What, you didn't think I came all this way from Heliopolis in that GINN, and modified it myself, did you?" His right eye was currently in telescopic, showing him his friends' vessel in all its detail. "I... hitched a ride on her, till we reached orbit. Then I left and headed here. I have no idea what the _Archangel_ is doing here, though."

The communications gear in one of the group's jeeps beeped, and young Ahmed went to answer it. "Yes, what is it?" he asked.

The reply was clearly heard by all. _"The Tiger has left the _Lesseps," the caller reported. _"He's heading toward that ship, with six BuCUEs."_

The guerrillas glanced among each other, concerned; but Kevin, wearing a black cloak of his own against the cool desert night, looked quite calm. "I assume that's the _Desert_ Tiger you're speaking of?"

"That's right," Ahmed answered. "This could be trouble."

"You don't know the half of it, kid." The super-soldier stepped to a higher sand dune, gazing out across the landscape. "I know Andy Waltfeld. He's an honorable man, avoids civilian casualties as much as possible... but very, very cunning. If he'd been the one chasing the _Archangel_, instead of Le Creuset, we might not have made it."

Cagalli blinked. "You _know_ the Desert Tiger?"

"Better believe it. Before I ran into these guys, the man was my mentor in the ways of tactics, strategy, philosophy... and coffee." Kevin turned back to them. "If you could lend me some transportation, I need to return to my mobile suit. If Andy's attacking the _Archangel_, he'll be expecting just the Strike... and he might well succeed against it, with the force he's sending. I can't let that happen." His eyes, behind the sunglasses, were very cold. "Mentor or not, Andy is _not_ blowing up that ship."

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker's past is revealed at last, along with the reason for his virulent hatred of ZAFT; and he's also reunited with Cagalli, thus restoring his lost memories. But not _everything_ has yet been told… 

I'm afraid that this will be about the last appearance for Invictus for awhile; there's really no place for him in the next chapter, and, as I mentioned earlier, I wrote a good deal of this long before posting; unfortunately, I hadn't thought of the character when I wrote said chapters. Rest assured, however, that this will not be his last appearance.

Daniel Lynx, I'm pleased that it lived up to your expectations; and yes, Kevin will indeed turn up to help protect the _Archangel_ once again. And before long, he meets his mentor once again.

Shinji Ikari, the difference in attitudes between Kira and Kevin wasn't actually a deliberate contrast, at least not at first. Rather, Kevin's views largely reflect my own, though I will grant he's a bit more extreme than I (maybe more than a bit). As for the difference in battle skills, I confess that I made Kevin so inexperienced largely to offset his might on the ground. I didn't want a character quite _that_ powerful.

You also make several good points regarding the story's flaws, which I will attempt to address (I added one scene to this chapter for that very reason, in fact). The emotional aspects were something I'd noticed were somewhat lacking from the other characters, though I wasn't sure how to address it; but I admit I hadn't really noticed any problem with Kevin. I'll see what I can do about that.

You make a good point about Kuzzey, as well, which will be seen to starting with the next chapter (which also happens to be the final chapter of a rather lengthy rewrite process).

As regards Athrun, however, I think you may have missed the point. I didn't say that he _wouldn't_ go after Kevin on the battlefield, I merely said that staying away would be the wisest course from the standpoint of survival. Naturally, soldiers do not necessarily take the safest course; they try to minimize risk, but without risk, wars cannot be won. Believe me, the two still have yet to fight their fiercest battles.

On the matter of his lack of challenge from normal soldiers, that is another matter I intend to remedy, both in the next chapter and the shootout in Banadiya.

As to Bloody Roar, I rather anticipated that problem. Rest assured that there _is_ a proper explanation later in the story; there simply hasn't been a convenient point for it yet. It _is_ coming.

About your final point: even if I _had_ gotten complaints about Kevin's "overpowering" abilities, I would have ignored them completely. One: so far, the reviews have been -to say the least- overwhelming positive. Two: for all that I try to make things enjoyable for others, for all that I pay attention to criticism, I am writing this primarily because I _like_ to. I write things my way, and if someone has a problem with something that basic, it isn't _my_ problem. As long as things continue as they have, I see no reason to pay attention to such spurious complaints.

Assuming I've covered everything that needs to be covered, that should be all I need to say. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.-Solid Shark


	11. Chapter 11: Just Deserts

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

At the base camp of the Desert Dawn, Kevin Walker had re-donned his black-and-red flight suit, and stood before his hybrid machine known as Punisher, helmet cradled under one arm. 

"Don't be surprised if I turn up sometime to pull your bacon out of the fire."

"I'll look forward to it."

That exchange with Murrue Ramius -had it really been only two days before?- just before he left the _Archangel_ now struck him as most ironic. _"Sometime", huh? Guess I got _that_ right... but I never expected it to be this soon._

"You okay?" Cagalli asked, coming up behind him.

"Yeah, tovarisch. Just thinking."

The resistance fighters had returned to their camp after learning of Andrew Waltfeld's incoming strike force. Sahib Ashman's people were gathering their equipment in preparation for a surprise attack of their own, while Kevin had come to retrieve his mobile suit. Whatever the _Archangel_ was doing in the Libyan desert, they were about to be in trouble, and he was, once again, in a position to do something about it... even if it meant fighting against his own mentor.

"Natarle Badgiruel's gonna have a fit," he predicted. "We never got along; on the other hand, though, maybe this'll change her mind." Kevin shook himself. "I'd better get going," he said, glancing over his shoulder at his friend. "Can't afford to be late to _this_ party."

"You always hated parties, remember?" Cagalli smiled at him, then sobered. "Be careful out there, okay? Don't die on me again."

"No worries." With a half-smile, he settled his helmet over his head and grabbed the line that would haul him up into his machine. "We Destroyers don't make mistakes, you know; it says so right in our reputations." He waved a hand. "Just make sure _you're_ not late, either."

She watched the hatch close behind him, a slight smile on her face. _You haven't changed _that_ much, have you, Kevin? Always cracking jokes in danger._ Her best friend was obviously one of those rare, strange individuals who simply did not get tense.

All the same, Cagalli was a little worried. She knew she shouldn't be, after seeing him in action on Heliopolis, but she'd never seen him fight in a mobile suit before.

Her worries would soon be dispelled.

* * *

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, things remained quite peaceful. The crew was blissfully unaware of both their incoming friend and the reason for his haste; in fact, the Bridge crew found themselves quite, quite bored. 

Newly-promoted Lieutenant Natarle Badgiruel held the watch, while her overworked Captain got some much-needed and deserved rest; of the other crew, only newly-minted Ensign Arnold Neumann and Romero Pal were on duty for this, the graveyard shift, and even they were feeling sleepy.

_Too few people on this ship,_ Neumann thought, sipping from a zero-g drink container._ I wish the replacements from the Eighth Fleet had made it; maybe then we'd have enough crew to set up a more civilized watch schedule._

Idly, he released his drink, expecting it -if he thought about it at all- to simply stay where he left it, as it had the whole time since Heliopolis. Instead, it dropped straight to the floor, obeying the laws of gravity.

"Ensign Neumann," Badgiruel said tiredly, retrieving the drink and handing it to the sheepish Ensign, "_try_ to remember that we're in a gravity field now, will you? I'd really rather not have to explain to the Captain why the Bridge is sopping wet."

She sounded more amused than angry, though. "Yes, Ma'am," Neumann replied, still feeling sheepish. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."

"Please do. Besides, we could find ourselves in combat at any moment; this _is_ ZAFT territory, after all."

For the first time, Badgiruel found herself almost wishing Kevin Walker was still with them. _Weird guy, and a little too quick to draw his guns, but I'll admit I felt safer with him aboard. Something tells me that even if we were invaded by an entire army, he could fend them off all by himself. Of course, that's one reason he made me so nervous..._

She shrugged it off. Walker wasn't here anymore, and the ship seemed safe enough for now. That was really all that mattered. Besides, even if they _were_ attacked, the _Archangel_'s weapons would suffice against almost any ship in ZAFT's inventory, and they still had the Strike; in Kira Yamato's hands, it was a powerful deterrent.

_Though _he's_ still in no condition to fly, either... Well, we'll make do._

* * *

All through the mobile assault ship, things were peaceful. Murrue Ramius slept easily for the first time in weeks, Mu La Flaga had dozed off in his Skygrasper, and Kira Yamato had finally found some peace... with the help of one Flay Allster, who remained nearby. 

But the relaxation of the off-shift crew and the Bridge watch was about to be shattered. From one direction came a ZAFT assault force, commanded by Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld and completely undetected by the _Archangel_. From another, Kevin Walker's bizarre mobile suit was rushing toward them, barely out-speeding the enemy.

The first clue the ship had that anything was approaching was when Pal noticed something strange on his displays. "Incoming heat source, Ma'am! Mobile suit approaching!"

Badgiruel spun in her chair. "Identify!"

A moment later, the order became unnecessary. "Archangel!" came the call over the radio. _"This is Walker! I strongly suggest you go to Battlestations immediately!"_

She frowned, unsure whether to be angry, surprised at the soldier's very sudden reappearance, or very nervous. Whatever else he was, Kevin was a very sharp individual; he wouldn't say something like that for no reason. "Care to clarify, Mr. Walker?"

_"No, I thought I'd just send you an anonymous note and go back to live the high life in Vegas,"_ Kevin said sarcastically._ "If you'll check your detection gear in a few moments, you'll notice you have a half-dozen ZAFT BuCUEs coming straight at you. Is _that_ cause for alarm, Ensign?"_

"It's Lieutenant, now," Badgiruel replied absently. "I'll get back to you, Mr. Walker." In truth, she didn't doubt his words; he might be reticent about his identity, but he was _not_ in the habit of lying about a tactical situation. "This is the Bridge," she said, punching an intercom button. "All hands to Level One Battlestations. Repeat, all hands to Level One Battlestations! Captain Ramius to the Bridge!" Without waiting for any kind of reply, the Lieutenant switched back to the external line. "Mr. Walker, are you in a position to provide support?"

_"Affirmative, Lieutenant."_ Even as he spoke, the Punisher had come into view and began hovering directly in front of the ship._ "But I hope you've got the Strike around, because I can't stop six BuCUEs all by myself; and they appear to be bringing in combat choppers, too." _A quick curse in Russian._ "Watch it, _Archangel_. We've got a laser designator from over the horizon someplace. If that's who I think it is, expect vampires to be on their way at any moment."_ Kevin abruptly signed off, leaving the crew to their own devices.

"What's going on?" Ramius demanded, entering the Bridge. "Was that Blade?"

"Yes, Captain." Badgiruel vacated the chair, moving down into CIC; the rest of the Bridge crew had already begun to arrive. "He says we have six BuCUEs and an undetermined number of combat helicopters incoming."

"Wonderful," Ramius muttered. "But at least we have some warning. Activate the Gottfrieds and Valiants; load all stern missile tubes. Prepare to intercept enemy fire."

Sai glanced up from his scanner displays. "Uh, Lieutenant," he asked, frowning, "what did Blade mean by 'vampires'?"

"Missiles, Crewman Argyle," Badgiruel said grimly. "He means there's a ZAFT land battleship out there somewhere, and it's preparing to fire missiles at us." She nodded at CIC's visual displays. "And right now, our only mobile defense is your old classmate."

"In that case, we should be fine," Tolle said from the bow, sounding more confident than he felt. "Blade's stopped everything he's met so far."

_"Don't be looking for a miracle, Tolle,"_ Kevin cautioned; apparently he'd been listening in. _"I'm unrivaled on the ground, but I'm merely good in a mobile suit. I can delay them, but I _need_ some help if we're going to live."_ He paused._ "Those bastards have a surprise coming, but I can't hold them off long enough."_ His gaze switched to Ramius._ "Captain, you need to launch the Strike."_

She shook her head. "No, Blade. I'm sorry, but Kira's still recovering from reentry; he's in no condition to sortie, whatever _he_ may think."

He hissed. _"Well, you'd better do _something_, Captain, 'cause they'll be on top of us in under five minutes!"_ His image winked out again.

"As insubordinate as ever," Badgiruel murmured, but she didn't sound the least bit irritated. "Yet somehow, I just don't care anymore."

"Probably because we can't move," Ramius commented, "which means we're effectively helpless for now." She pushed an intercom button. "Commander La Flaga, is your Skygrasper ready yet?"

_"Negative, Captain,"_ La Flaga replied from the hanger._ "There's still a couple of bugs I need to work out before I'm sure it won't crash on takeoff. I'll lift ASAP, Ma'am."_

"Understood; but please hurry, Commander."

"Captain," Mir said, looked up at her, "Kira is requesting permission to launch at once."

"Denied," Ramius said instantly. "_He_ may think he's ready, but the Doctor says he needs more rest. Tell him that, Crewman Haw."

"Yes, Ma'am." She winced, knowing how Kira was likely to react; but she also knew the Captain was right. Even Coordinators only healed so quickly.

Another transmission came through from Blade. _"I have met the enemy, Captain Ramius,"_ he reported, voice signally the detached calm of his battle instincts, _"and he is us. Now engaging."_

Sai glanced over at Mir. "That's Blade, all right. No mistaking the sense of humor."

There was the sound of energy fire from the mobile suit guarding their bow, and the battle was joined.

* * *

"I have got to be out of my mind," Kevin muttered, watching the helicopters approach. "Here I am, in the middle of a desert, facing off against attack choppers and a half-dozen BuCUEs, while flying a hybrid monstrosity that may come apart at any moment, and completely without backup. I have _got_ to be out of my mind." 

Nonetheless, he was there, and he had a job to do. So when the first chopper came into view, he raised his rifle and blasted it to bits. _At least I've got some lead time before those BuCUEs get here,_ he thought, watching his displays. _But if that's really Andy, I'm in trouble._ The Desert Tiger was a foe no one took lightly.

Kevin gazed calmly at the incoming aircraft, gauging tactics as his mentor had taught him. _Let's see..._ he mused, accessing his augmentation's database. _Standard ZAFT land battleship-based combat helicopters. Lightly armed, with Zuni Mk. 40 rocket launchers and chin-mounted 30mm Gatlings. In other words..._ He smiled slowly. _They can't do squat against PSA. So..._

Punisher's beam rifle went back onto its mountings, and one hand yanked out the massive katana sheathed at its side. Raising the weapon in a steady, two-handed grip, the machine leapt into the air.

The ZAFT pilot flying Punisher's first target couldn't quite grasp what was occurring. Having a bizarrely-modified GINN with a Samurai sword leap at him was completely outside his experience; and, for that matter, standard GINN capabilities. _Wait a minute,_ the pilot's mind gibbered, _GINNs can't fly in atmosphere. This can't be happ-_

Shining metal came down, and the pilot knew no more.

"Anybody else care to try me?" Kevin whispered, still calm, very calm.

* * *

"Well..." 

ZAFT Commander Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld watched the battle with interest. He was not himself piloting in this mission, but he had refused to stay with the _Lesseps_. He'd heard of this so-called "legged ship", the vessel which had eluded the Le Creuset team with seeming ease all the way to Earth. Having little use for Rau Le Creuset, Waltfeld was interested in seeing the ship which had so stymied the man.

He found himself rather impressed by the pilot that had come to the _Archangel_'s rescue before the attack force had even arrived. All alone, even with his PSA-equipped machine, and yet he stood his ground, even though he had to know the BuCUEs were on their way.

His aide, Martin DaCosta, frowned in confusion. "But what is that thing, and where did it come from? The legged ship obviously didn't launch it, and the resistance fighters certainly have nothing like it."

"I'm not sure exactly _what_ it is, DaCosta," Waltfeld replied, never taking his eyes off the battle, "though it clearly started life as a GINN. But where, now... that's a different story. Athrun Zala, of the Le Creuset team, reported fighting this machine in orbit. It was observed launching from the legged ship several hours prior to the battle, but returned after the Eighth Fleet started getting hammered, so I'd assume it was originally the GINN that was captured at Heliopolis. Following Zala's engagement with it, the pilot apparently made atmospheric reentry independently; probably one of the shooting stars we saw the other night. If I had to guess, he made contact and joined up with the resistance fighters, who must have gotten word of our attack. He heard that, and headed off to protect his old ship." He shook his head in admiration. "Whoever that guy is, he's good. If I didn't know better, I'd say _I_ trained him..."

* * *

For several minutes, the battle had been an effective stalemate. The helicopters knew their weapons couldn't hurt the mobile suit, and that to try was to die, but Kevin couldn't afford to go hunting for the enemy mobile suits, lest he leave the _Archangel_ open to fire from the helicopters. 

"Not quite a Catch-22," he murmured, "but close enough for government work."

Then the BuCUEs burst into sight over the sand dunes.

"Uh-oh." Kevin keyed his radio. "_Archangel_, if you can possibly launch anything to assist, now would be a really good time. Even Phase-shift runs out eventually, especially when you consider that it took me a little while, and a good amount of power, to get here in the first place; and six-to-one odds are never great."

On the screen, Ramius seemed to be consulting with someone. Finally, she said, _"We're launching Commander La Flaga's Skygrasper. He can't do much good against the BuCUEs, but he _can_ find that battleship; and if he can distract them, they might recall the BuCUEs."_

"Possible," Kevin granted, "but unlikely. I have a pretty good idea of who's in charge over there, and he doesn't spook easy. But even if all the Commander can do is hold off potential missile attacks, it'll help. But please, if there is any possible way to get the Strike out here, please do so ASAP."

Ramius sighed. _"I'd love to, Blade, but Kira really isn't in any condition-"_

"All right, all right." He grimaced. "I'll make do. But tell Kira he can have my gun collection; these really aren't good odds."

But they're the only odds I've got, so I'll just deal with it.

The first BuCUE was now in range, and Kevin discovered he wasn't quite as ready for desert warfare as he'd assumed when it bowled him right over.

"Uh-oh." He kicked in his verniers at the last second, recovering from would have been a very disadvantageous position. He'd already realized his primary errors: he wasn't accustomed to the BuCUEs' rough-and-tumble full-contact tactics, and his only mobile suit experience prior to Heliopolis had been in simulators... _none_ of them designed to simulate the conditions of a battle in a desert against six BuCUEs while piloting a hybrid monstrosity of a mobile suit which no one had ever heard of.

So he was still attempting to compensate when the BuCUEs began to surround him, firing a mixture of back-mounted missiles and double-barreled linear cannons.

They were not sufficient to damage Phase-shift, of course; but even PSA could be knocked out eventually, by simple lack of power. Each hit and each use of a beam weapon drained the machine's battery a little more, until it was empty and the mobile suit was vulnerable.

It didn't help that the shots kept Kevin off-balance. And this time, his usual consummate skill and cool head worked against him, for he was highly unaccustomed to being off-balance. That, therefore, _kept_ him off-balance for far longer than would usually have been the case.

"Is this all he's got?" one BuCUE pilot wondered. "Hah! He should never have left space for Earth; _we_ rule the des-"

A beam shot blew off his right foreleg, and the descending sword bisected him in a flash. "You talk too much," Kevin hissed, launching himself into the sky, beam rifle in one hand, katana in the other. "Talk is cheap, victory expensive."

Below, Andrew Waltfeld nodded to himself, impressed. "He's good," he conceded. "I still don't know why they haven't launched the Strike, but this guy might actually give them time to do so. Well, can't have that. DaCosta," he said, turning. "Correct if I'm wrong, but didn't we get a hotshot DINN pilot transferred over last week?"

DaCosta blinked. "Uh, yes sir, we did; some guy Carpentaria didn't want. Good in a mobile suit, but the Carpentaria brass didn't like his attitude."

"I don't care about his attitude," the Tiger said with a shrug. "I just want somebody to distract that thing, and the BuCUEs can't fly. Tell the _Lesseps_ to launch him, immediately."

"Yes, Commander!" The aide lifted a radio, speaking rapidly.

"Let's see you handle somebody your own altitude, hotshot," Waltfeld murmured.

* * *

Kevin watched the now-circling BuCUEs warily. La Flaga had launched a few minutes before, searching for the enemy mothership, but since then, not much had happened. _Something's not right here..._

He keyed his radio. "_Archangel_, keep your eyes peeled. They're up to something."

_"How can you tell?"_ Ramius asked._ "They look to me like they're reevaluating the situation, in light of your arrival."_

"That may be what it _looks_ like, Captain," he replied, eyes narrow, "but I don't think that's what it is. Andy's smarter than that... which means they're up to something."

On the screen, she frowned. _"'Andy'?"_ A pause. _"You don't mean Andrew Waltfeld, do you? ZAFT's Desert Tiger?"_

"That's exactly who I mean, Captain." Kevin chuckled. "My mentor."

Another pause; this time, the response was from Badgiruel. _"Your _what?"

He actually laughed, despite the battle; though his eyes never left the circling enemies. "I came through here about two years ago, Lieutenant; a wet-behind-the-ears combat rookie, out on my own in the great wide world for the first time. I had a tussle with Blue Cosmos in Banadiya -my first, it would have been- and a certain member of ZAFT happened to be watching when I cleaned their clocks. Afterwards, he walked up to me, and he said, 'Mr. Tiger, your technique is good, but you couldn't outfox a lemming.' I asked him what I could have done better, and he told me. And _that_, Lieutenant, is what led to my being just as good at outmaneuvering my enemy as at simply blasting him to bits."

_"Oh, great,"_ Badgiruel muttered._ "You're sure it's him out there?"_

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure."

Below, Andy Waltfeld glanced at his watch. "Right... about... now, I think."

The thermal detection unit beeped, and Kevin's eyes snapped down to his displays. "AMF-101 DINN," he murmured, feeling the first tightening of tension. "I thought they weren't deploying those outside the ocean theaters." He hit his radio again. "_Archangel_, we may have a problem. There's a DINN incoming."

_"Just one?"_ Ramius tilted her head._ "That shouldn't be much of a problem, right?"_

"Don't be naive, Captain," he snapped. "_Think._ This is the Desert Tiger we're talking about; would he really have sent in a single DINN, after seeing what I can do, if the pilot wasn't very, very good?"

_"Point taken,"_ she conceded with a sigh._ "Do your best, Blade; we'll just have to hope Commander La Flaga manages to-"_

She broke off abruptly, and Kevin tweaked his hearing to catch what was being said in CIC. _That sounds like Kira. What is he...?_

_"No more lives will be sacrificed,"_ Kira was saying angrily,_ "so let me go out there and fight!"_

Evidently, he'd gone to the Strike as soon as the battle began, even though Ramius refused to let him launch. Now he sounded very insistent, and his tone and words set off warning bells in Kevin's mind. _That sounds like something Flay would say... or Kira, if someone had been filling his head with nonsense. Someone like Flay Allster. Kira, don't tell me you fell for her act. _Please_ don't be stupid..._

No use; especially when combined with the tactical situation. _"All right,"_ Ramius said finally. _"Tell him he can launch. I don't like his attitude, but I don't see that we have much of a choice. Blade, you have help coming."_

"About time," he muttered; but having heard Kira's words, Kevin now thought he'd probably do better to simply fight by himself. Kira Yamato under the influence of Flay Allster might conceivably be more of a loose cannon than... _...than me,_ he conceded. _I'll admit I get a little reckless sometimes; but I can survive just about anything. And I don't go in for genocide, which is what I'm pretty sure Flay wants. Man, oh man... this could be bad._

Kevin, however, now had other things on his mind. Like the DINN that was coming straight at him. "So _you're_ the hotshot Commander Waltfeld wants me to take care of?" a mocking voice called over the radio.

"Who wants to know?" The winged DINN had both guns, rifle and shotgun, pointed directly at him, but he hadn't attacked yet. _Arrogance,_ his mind whispered. _Exploit that weakness, and you've won the battle._

"The name's Bitter," the DINN pilot replied. "Evan Bitter; and I'm the guy who's gonna kill you."

"Bitter, eh?" Kevin snorted. "I'd say that name fits... since you'll have plenty of time to _be_ bitter, in the afterlife." He inclined his head. "You can call me Walker, hotshot." He added power to his verniers, bringing himself level with Bitter's machine; his katana was in his hand. "Kevin Walker, that is. I don't know if you know the name -though Elsman, at least, should have mentioned it- but I know yours. A reckless pilot from Martius Three, right?"

"Yeah," Bitter answered. "And Elsman _did_ mention you in his report; I assume the deleted words weren't very complementary." He loudly cracked his knuckles. "Enough talk, Walker! Let's get down to business!"

Blade shrugged. He had a hole card, if things went against him. But that presumed it functioned like the specs said... and that he'd constructed it properly. To his knowledge, not even a prototype had been made of the vehicular neurolink, before he explosively terminated the Project; like many other devices the Destroyers had in the works near the end, it was only on the drawing board... and his own stint as an engineer had been enough years and deaths ago to make him uncertain of his own ability.

None of which mattered much, really; if it didn't work, he'd probably never know it.

"Okay, then," Kevin murmured. "_Archangel_, you'd better hurry up and get that machine out here." He raised his voice, simultaneously raising his sword in salute to the DINN. "Let's dance!"

* * *

In the _Archangel_'s starboard catapult, Kira Yamato sat in the Strike's cockpit, preparing to take off. _Finally,_ he thought, disgusted. _This could be over by now if they'd just let me launch earlier._ He'd taken Flay's words to heart, and believed now that the only way to quickly end the war was to destroy his enemies as soon as possible. That way, fewer innocents would die, and those he was sworn to protect would be safe. _So let's do it._

Overhearing some of Kevin's radio chatter, Kira smiled. He'd been very happy when he heard his friend had returned to defend the _Archangel_ once again, just like he had on the way from Heliopolis to Earth orbit. With Kevin at his side, life was about as good as it could get at the moment... once they'd won this battle, at least. And Kevin's assistance would help immeasurably.

_I knew he'd be back,_ he thought, smiling grimly._ I _knew_ it! Now, if he'll just stick around this time..._

Various mechanical thumping and hissing noises heralded the connection of a Striker pack to his machine. _"Okay, Kira,"_ Mir said from the Bridge. _"We've attached the Launcher Striker; you're cleared to launch."_ She paused. _"Be careful."_

"Roger that." Smile banished, Kira hit the appropriate controls, and the Strike shot forward with the speed induced by magnetic repulsion.

Immediately, he glanced around, checking the situation. Of the original attack force, about a dozen helicopters and five BuCUEs remained; the casualties, he knew, were Kevin's work.

The DINN, Kira figured, was also Kevin's work, after a fashion: the ZAFT ground commander had obviously decided he needed something a bit more maneuverable to deal with the bizarre Punisher. Now the pair were wheeling about the sky, firing at each other and attempting to cut each other to ribbons; they looked like nothing so much as a pair of birds of prey, battling each other for territory.

Kira knew there was little he could do to affect the outcome of that battle; even if the Launcher package had permitted him to fly in atmosphere, the Agni was overpowering enough that he risked hitting Kevin, instead. That left the BuCUEs; the helicopters, as he saw it, were little threat to anything.

But now Andrew Waltfeld's trap was sprung.

* * *

"Perfect," Waltfeld murmured. "They've finally launched the Strike, and that crazy GINN-thing is occupied with Mr. Bitter." He smiled. "Let's see how the Le Creuset team's Bane does against BuCUEs, in a desert..." 

DaCosta, as usual, had not the slightest idea what his boss was talking about. He was good, of course; else he would not be Andrew Waltfeld's second-in-command, and, some said, protégé; but he was not in Waltfeld's league, at least not yet. "What do you mean, sir?"

The Tiger glanced at him. Unlike some commanders, he encouraged questions; questioning things was the mark of someone who knew enough to know he didn't know enough. As he himself said, "The only stupid question is the one you don't ask." What seemed obvious to one person might be less so to another.

So now he replied to his aide's question. "That's a space model," Waltfeld pointed out, nodding at the newly-emerged machine. "Those 'Striker packs' give it a decent weapons loadout, but they obviously don't know a thing about desert warfare. If they did, they would have sent him out with the same equipment that GINN is using." He smiled slightly. "You'll see what I mean in a few moments, DaCosta."

Puzzled, but sure the answer would be interesting, DaCosta settled back to watch.

* * *

Kira knew something was wrong the moment the first BuCUE leapt for him; but he didn't have time to think about it. Instead, he flinched, firing a wild shot from his hyper-impulse cannon which missed completely. 

The BuCUE didn't. Its legs clipped the Strike's right shoulder; a move which, combined with Kira's instinctive reaction, caused the Strike to lose its footing in the loose sand and topple over backwards. "Ugh!"

Kevin spared a moment's attention from his own aerial battle to glance at the Strike, and he felt the first icy touch of fear he'd had in a very long time. Kira hadn't had that much trouble maneuvering a mobile suit since his first battle off Heliopolis, with the Duel, Buster, and Blitz; to see a handful of BuCUEs going at him like this made Blade distinctly nervous. _C'mon, Kira... If you die on me, I'll never forgive you. And besides; I'd very much like to introduce you to my old friend, now that I finally remember her..._

He paid a small price for his distraction: Bitter's DINN opened up on him, blasting Punisher at point-blank range with his shotgun. "Tut, tut, Mr. Walker! Never let yourself be distracted!" Bitter chided.

_He's got me there,_ Kevin conceded. The DINN was not equipped with energy weapons, which meant Punisher couldn't actually be harmed; but when added to use of verniers and beam weapons, the energy consumed with each hit was ruinous. He estimated he had no more than a few minutes now before he ran out of power completely._ Still, however good this guy may be, he's never faced anything like me before._ He barked a laugh._ Not in his worst nightmares has he met someone like me._

To be sure, Bitter _was_ good; good enough that Waltfeld had accepted the man, despite the attitude problems that had gotten him ousted from Carpentaria. This was why the aerial ballet had lasted so long: for all his formidable skills on the ground, Kevin was just as new to actual -as opposed to simulated- mobile suit flying as Kira, and Bitter's skills were quite impressive.

"What are _you_ laughing at?" Bitter questioned, sideslipping to avoid a sword attack. "Or are you just as crazy as Elsman said?"

"Does it matter?" The katana swept back, cutting the barrel off the DINN's rifle; Punisher immediately pulled back, waiting for the next move like a chess player... or a fencer.

The only reply was a snort, and Bitter did something unexpected. He charged directly at the Punisher, remaining weapon holstered. His empty hands reached out, and before Kevin realized the pilot's intentions, the DINN had snatched the huge Samurai blade from Punisher's hands and retreated, purloined weapon held high.

"Bastard," he muttered, and darted a hand toward his beam rifle.

Below, Kira was finally getting a handle on his problems. _It's the sand,_ he realized. _I need to adjust for the granularity; if I can do that, I'll be able to keep my footing... But how?_ Thinking fast, he leapt backwards, gaining a little breathing space while he brought up the Strike's OS. _Of course! Tweak the contact pressures for the Strike's feet, distribute the weight... That _should_ work. _He began typing furiously.

Kevin, having an inkling of what his friend was up to, spared a moment from fruitlessly blasting at Bitter to snatch one of his beam sabers and throw it to the ground at the Strike's feet: a warning that was not lost on the BuCUE pilots, though it would doubtless stymie them only for a moment.

Bitter, who did _not_ understand what was going on, laughed. "Dropping ballast, Walker? Or are you just daydreaming?" He followed up on his comment by darting in and slashing the Punisher's beam rifle.

Kevin did not even think of counterattacking at that particular moment. "Um," he murmured with some concern, eyeing the sparking rifle barrel. "I daresay that's what's known as a 'smoking gun'." Hurriedly, he tossed away the now-useless weapon. He was down to just one effective weapon: his remaining beam saber, which he swiftly drew. "You're a dead man, Bitter."

"Have to catch me first, Walker."

Kira finished his OS modifications just as one of the BuCUEs made a move; it was attempting the same strike that had thrown him off-balance earlier, but this time Kira kept his footing.

This time, it was instead the BuCUE that went flying, whacked by the Agni's stock. "I don't think so!" Kira yelled. He hefted his weapon... and above, Kevin's hybrid machine was knocked from the sky by Bitter's DINN.

"You lose, Walker," Bitter murmured, watching Punisher's Phase-shift go done. An anticipatory grin on his face, he raised the captured katana.

At that moment, seeing that, Kira's eyes went wide, and an amethyst seed burst behind them... an effect which once again echoed across to Kevin's mind, opening the jade seed.

The Punisher's left shoulder opened up, revealing the cut-down Scylla hyper-impulse cannon Kojiro Murdoch's mechanics had installed when the machine was in their clutches. Bitter had time to recognize the weapon's aperture, widen his eyes, and begin to speak, "Oh, _no_-"

The multi-phase energy cannon discharged in a burst of blinding light; when it cleared, the DINN existed only as scattered chunks of twisted metal, dominated by a miraculously-intact katana that stood upright in the sand.

* * *

Meanwhile, the tables had turned on the BuCUEs. Kira's machine was properly adapted to the desert sand now, and the Berserker state was working its magic upon his mental processes. 

The next four-legged machine to rush the Strike was promptly knocked flat on it back by a powerful punch, and Kira planted the Strike's foot on it. "Here, have some of this!" he said savagely, and pulled the trigger.

Agni erupted, annihilating the BuCUE even more thoroughly than the Scylla had wiped the DINN... all without damaging the Strike, which had jumped away again.

"Incredible..." Waltfeld murmured, watching. "That pilot has already adjusted to the sand... and he just blew up one of my best people. He'll pay for that," he added conversationally.

"What about the DINN, Sir?" DaCosta questioned, once again bemused by his Commander's calm disposition. "That was our only airborne mobile suit, after all."

"Hmm? Oh, Bitter?" The Tiger waved a hand. "He did the job, DaCosta; that GINN-thing was kept occupied... not that it did any good. In any case, I'll write up the appropriate paperwork when all this is over, and add that Bitter was too reckless for his own good." He shrugged, sipping a mug of coffee. "Fortunes of war, DaCosta. You live with it and keep on; vengeance doesn't get you anywhere... Unless you're Racher," he added to himself.

_I wonder where that guy is, anyway? Whoever he was, he sure didn't like ZAFT very much; wonder why he tolerated _me.Waltfeld tilted his head, thinking._ Too bad he didn't take me up on my offer; I'd love to see what he could have done to the legged ship. Oh, well._

He glanced at his watch. "In any case, the _Lesseps_ should be firing her missiles right about now."

It was Kevin, still hyper-sensitive, who first noticed the incoming warheads. "_Archangel!"_ he shouted over his radio. "Vampire vampire _vampire!"_

Ramius and Badgiruel had both been semi-anticipating the call, and reacted instantly. "Set Igelstellungs to missile-intercept!" Badgiruel snapped. "Don't let those missiles close!"

"Activate engines!" Ramius ordered, nerves tense. "We're a sitting duck if we don't get airborne!" She glanced down into CIC. "Where's Commander La Flaga?"

"Still closing with the enemy battleship, Ma'am," Mir reported uneasily. "He can't assist."

Kevin overheard the exchange. _Then it's up to us,_ he thought grimly. _Like old times._ _And I think it's time to try out my little gadget._

He flipped open the cover over the neurolink interface, pressed his palm against it, and made connection. Instantly, he was seeing through the Punisher's eyes, and the neural impulses which normally controlled his body were rerouted to the machine.

For all intents and purposes, he _was_ Punisher.

First, Kevin flipped the machine back onto its feet, then snatched up the fallen katana and sheathed it; that done, he hit his verniers again and reopened the shoulder plate. With his energy levels as they were, he'd only get one shot; he had to make it count.

Kira, watching with oddly-detached horror, had a similar idea. First, though, he snatched up one of the remaining BuCUEs, startling its pilot, and hurled it into the path of one of the missiles, obliterating warhead and mobile suit in one massive explosion. Then he raised the Agni hyper-impulse cannon. _This had better work..._

On the Bridge, Ramius clutched the armrests of her chair, willing the ship to lift in time. But she knew it wouldn't, and icy fear gripped her. _It can't end like this! Not after we've come so far, sacrificed so much!_

Then two trigger fingers tightened, and the _Archangel_'s Bridge crew was blinded by a pair of massive streaks of light, tearing across the night sky.

Andrew Waltfeld lowered his binoculars, genuinely surprised... and a tad dazzled himself. "Incredible..."

DaCosta blinked furiously, trying to clear his eyes. "What in the world just happened?"

There were no more missiles heading for the _Archangel_. The combined fury of a 320 millimeter Agni and a 580 millimeter Scylla hyper-impulse cannon had seen to that. Now all that remained were a trio of BuCUEs.

Mir spoke into the silence on the Bridge. "Commander La Flaga is returning, Captain. He says there's nothing more he can out there... and he confirms that the enemy ship is the _Lesseps_."

"So Blade was right," Ramius murmured. "It _was_ the Desert Tiger." _But it looks like we're finally winning._

But Kevin and Kira both noticed a problem: they were both effectively out of energy. Which meant that the BuCUEs once again held more than just the advantage of numbers. Even with helicopter support -which had been effectively eliminated during the fighting, leaving only one still airborne- they could probably take the two effectively-disarmed machines with relative ease.

Indeed, that was exactly what they were about to do when the last chopper suddenly exploded, struck by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Kira, no longer Berserk, looked to one side, to see several jeeps approaching, with RPG-wielding resistance fighters aboard. One of them skidded to a stop right next to the Strike, and one of its occupants fired a communications cable at the mobile suit.

_"Attention, pilot of this mobile suit,"_ Cagalli's voice (though Kira didn't recognize it) said in his ears._ "If you feel like living, doing exactly as I say."_

Kevin immediately keyed his radio. "Do it, Kira," he advised. "Trust me."

Kira almost asked "Do what?", but then a map appeared on his display, with an "X" marked on it; obviously he was supposed to head there. "Okay," he responded, puzzled but trusting his friend. "I'm on my way."

The Strike leapt into the air, using what power remained for short, boosted hops across the sandy ground; the Punisher followed closely, loping along with its own basic thrusters.

The BuCUEs obligingly followed along, not realizing they were walking directly into a trap.

It was a matter of only a few moments before the two _Archangel_ mobile suits and three BuCUEs reached the marked location; at which point Kira and Kevin boosted high into the air above.

The BuCUE pilots were still looking up, confused, when Cagalli held up a control device. "Perfect." Smiling savagely, she hit the first switch, blasting a section of desert out from under the trio of enemies. Then, once they were in the hole, she pushed the second red button.

Three BuCUEs very suddenly ceased to exist as anything more than very, very tiny pieces of scrap metal.

* * *

Dawn had come to the desert, and with it the time for the _Archangel_'s crew to make some decisions. The resistance fighters that had come to their aid were still a largely unknown quantity, though Kevin appeared to have some connection with them. 

On the Bridge, Badgiruel stroked her chin, uncertain. "Do they look friendly to you, Captain?"

Ramius shrugged, just as perplexed. "Hard to say, Natarle. They certainly didn't _have_ to do what they just did; but on the other hand, Blade seems to know them. Of course," she added with a smile, "that probably makes them _less_ trustworthy in your eyes."

The Lieutenant shook her head. "Don't be so sure, Captain. I may have misjudged Mr. Walker; I think we'll know in a few minutes."

Down in the hanger, La Flaga's Skygrasper taxied to a halt. Murdoch approached it as its canopy opened, and reached into the cockpit to help the Commander with his restraints. "Resistance fighters?" the pilot queried, eyebrows raised.

"Looks like it," Murdoch confirmed. "Beats me what's up, though."

"I guess I'd better go out there," Ramius said finally, on the Bridge. "They're not pointing any weapons, anyway, so let's at least show some courtesy and talk with them." Feeling a twinge of unease, she turned to the Bridge elevator. "You have the Bridge, Natarle; and have Commander La Flaga join me, will you?"

"Of course, Captain."

* * *

Ramius soon arrived at the lowest level of the _Archangel_, where La Flaga awaited at the hatch. "I guess I should warn you," he began with a sly smile, hand on his sidearm, "that I'm not too good in these 'sticky situations'." 

She smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. _I'm sure, Commander,_ she thought warmly. _And if things get _too_ sticky, you'll start shooting people, right?_

"We'd better go," she said aloud.

Outside, they found Kevin Walker already waiting for them, alone; he still wore his flight suit, though he'd doffed the helmet. "Hello, Captain, Commander," he greeted. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Blade," Ramius replied, genuinely glad to see him. Cold-blooded though he might be at times, she was really quite fond of the youth.

It was La Flaga who noticed the insignia pinned to Blade's collar. "Hey, Blade," he began, curious, "what's with the insignia?"

Kevin shrugged. "A parting gift from Admiral Halberton, Commander. He said it might come in handy, if I got into anything sticky with the Earth Forces." His eyes sharpened behind his perpetual sunglasses. "But understand something, please: I hold honorary rank, but I am not, in fact, part of the Earth Forces. Is that understood?"

Ramius nodded, not particularly surprised. "Of course, Blade; we'll just treat you the same as ever." She raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean you're planning to stay with us now?"

His eyes narrowed. "Depends on how things go here in the desert, Captain. Let's just say that it is a distinct possibility." Kevin waved a hand. "Now, may I suggest we go see what our guerrilla friends want? Sahib wouldn't give me a straight answer."

La Flaga grinned. "Nice to know _somebody_ can keep secrets from you," he said, amused. "After you, Blade."

Ramius found herself pleased she didn't understand Russian; the super-soldier's reply sounded quite, quite unprintable.

The three officers -well, two officers and one who-knew-what sort of officer- strode out to meet the resistance fighters who had appeared at such an opportune time, two of them wondering just what was going on. Their lethal young friend obviously knew them, but that told them little; Kevin Walker seemed to know everyone on the planet and beyond.

Sahib Ashman watched them approach, one eyebrow raised when he noticed that Kevin stayed with the _Archangel_ contingent; a subtle but distinct sign of where his loyalties currently lay. "So," he said simply, observing the trio, gauging their expressions, "we meet at last."

Ramius nodded. "It's only proper that we should thank you," she explained. "You _did _save our ship and mobile suits, after all." She wondered how much she should say, then mentally shrugged. _ZAFT already knows about us; it's hardly as if we could be giving away classified information to the enemy._ "I'm Murrue Ramius," she introduced herself, "Lieutenant Commander, Earth Alliance Forces Eighth Fleet. I'm the acting-Captain of this ship."

Sahib tilted his head. "We are known as the Desert Dawn. I go by the name Sahib Ashman. You need not bother thanking us," he added. "We weren't fighting merely to help you; ZAFT happens to be our enemy, as well, that's all." He paused. "And, of course, I think our mutual acquaintance might have been a little annoyed if we _hadn't_ come to help out."

"True enough," La Flaga agreed, amused that they had already found something in common with these tough guerrillas: a disinclination to get Kevin mad. "So it's you guys against the Desert Tiger, huh? Fighting for awhile?"

Sahib looked at him strangely. "I recognize you, but I cannot say how, or from where."

"My name is Mu La Flaga," the pilot replied, shrugging. "Don't know a living soul in these parts."

The guerrilla leader nodded. _Ah, I see._ "I never expected to meet the Hawk of Endymion in a place such as this," he admitted.

La Flaga and Ramius exchanged surprised looks, but the Captain quickly recovered. "You seem to be very well informed," she said curiously. "Do you also know about us?"

"You are the crew of the Earth Forces new mobile assault ship, yes? You descended to Earth to escape the Le Creuset team." At that, Kevin's eyes narrowed. He had no idea how Sahib knew that. He'd told Cagalli, but he didn't think she'd told anyone else yet. "And that machine of yours is..."

"X105 Strike," Cagalli supplied from behind him. "That's what they call this thing; it's one of the Earth Forces' new prototype mobile suits, from Heliopolis."

Sahib glanced at her sharply, as if to warn her not to say too much; but he knew there wasn't much point. She was bad enough on her own; with Kevin Walker at her side, there was no limit to the kind of trouble the pair could get into. He remembered their old exploits too well. "So," he said finally. "How good it is that you know who we are, and we know who you are. I must say, though, that I was surprised to see you land in such an unfortunate location; I can only assume you came here by accident." He paused, thinking about the possibilities this provided. "But now that you're here..."

Ramius glanced at Kevin, wondering what he might add, but he said nothing. _Figures._ "Can we count on your complete cooperation?" she asked hopefully.

Sahib smiled knowingly. "If you're serious about talking, you should lower your guns first." He looked up at the now-motionless and power-down Strike. "He should disarm as well."

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Badgiruel listened in. _Come on, Captain, _she thought. _Are you sure that's such a good idea?_

Ramius considered that. _Oh, what's the harm?_ she finally decided. _Besides, if things get rough, Blade could probably take care of all of them himself._ She realized then how much she'd missed having the super-soldier aboard; given that he was clearly on _their_ side, his lethality was very comforting.

"Very well, then," she said aloud. "Ensign Yamato," she called, "come down here."

In the Strike, Kira readily unstrapped. He'd caught sight of a face down there that seemed somehow familiar; and besides, Kevin was back, a fact that pleased him enormously.

Cagalli watched with detached interest as the pilot in black, blue, and white lowered himself to the ground. Judging from what she could see of him... _He's just a teenager,_ she realized. _About Kevin's age,_ she thought, though it was difficult to tell without seeing his face.

Then he removed his helmet, and she gasped. _But that... that's the guy from Heliopolis, the one who shoved me into that shelter._

Without thinking, Cagalli broke away from the resistance fighters and ran up to the pilot. "So it is you," she said flatly, stopping less than a meter away.

Kira blinked, confused. _Huh? Who's she?_

She was still glaring at him. "Why-? What is someone like _you_ doing here, huh?" Without warning, she threw a punch at him.

Kira easily caught her fist; and he finally realized where he'd seen her before. "That's right; you're that person I met back at Morgenroete!"

Cagalli was not at all mollified by his recognition. "Let go of me, you jerk!" She jerked her hand free, and smacked him in the face.

"Cagalli!" Sahib called; clearly an order.

Without another word, she stalked away, now just as puzzled by her actions as everyone else was. _Why did I do that? He hasn't done anything to me, after all._

There was a moment of quite discussion between Sahib and Cagalli, and then the guerrilla leader turned back to the _Archangel_ officers. "I think we have much to discuss, Captain Ramius. If you'll return to your ship, we'll take you to our base."

Ramius nodded. "Very well. I look forward to it, Mr. Ashman."

She and La Flaga turned and began walking back toward the _Archangel_; they were accompanied part of the way by Kevin. "I'll be going with the resistance fighters, if you don't mind, Captain," he said quietly. "I'll see you when we arrive."

"Of course," Ramius replied. Then curiosity got the better of her. "By the way, Blade, did you find your friend? The one you couldn't remember?"

For the first time since she'd known him, he smiled broadly. "I certainly did, Captain. She's the girl who just tried to deck Kira."

Before the startled Captain could think of a coherent response, the super-soldier had slipped away, as abruptly as he usually appeared.

Beside her, La Flaga chuckled. "Now there goes a guy who hasn't been this happy in years."

A hundred meters away, Kevin was climbing into a jeep with Cagalli. "By the way, tovarisch," he began quietly, "you remember you once said you wanted to meet my friends from Copernicus?"

She frowned, puzzled by the non sequitur. "Yeah, why?"

He jerked his head toward Kira. "You just whacked one of them."

Cagalli felt herself color. "Oops."

* * *

Some hours later, after the _Archangel_ had arrived at the Desert Dawn's encampment, the officers had gone to meet with Sahib and his people, and their two mobile suits had covered the ship with cammo netting, Kira stood on a hill overlooking the site. 

_So here we are,_ he thought._ Right in the middle of a resistance fighters' base, in the middle of a desert. Never thought I'd end up in a place like _this_. But it could be worse. At least Blade's back with us._

Sai walked by, carrying rope that was no doubt bound for somewhere-or-other. "Excellent job," he said as he went by.

Presuming he meant the cammo netting, Kira shrugged. "Yeah, sure. I guess." It wasn't really that big a deal, or so he thought.

Then he saw something coming that _did_ get his attention: Cagalli was coming up the slope toward him, an odd expression on her face; to Kira's surprise, Kevin was, for once, nowhere to be seen. "Huh?"

She stopped about a meter away, and looked at the ground. "I apologize for earlier, 'kay?" she said without preamble. "I didn't actually mean to hit you." Then, realizing how ridiculous that sounded, and remembering that this was a friend of Kevin's she amended, "Well... I suppose I did. But it was spur of the moment; forgive me."

Kira was a little surprised, but then decided it was amusing, and chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" Cagalli demanded, irritated.

He sat on the ground, smiling a little. _Maybe she's not so bad, after all._ "Well, now think about it."

She got his point, and finally relaxed herself. "You've been on my mind since," then admitted, remembering Heliopolis. "Worried, I guess; asking myself what might have happened to you." The blond-haired girl looked up at the Strike. "But then you turn up out of nowhere, flying one of _those_ things. And worse yet, you're now with the Earth Forces?"

Kira was silent for a long moment. _You've got a point,_ he thought. _I don't really know what I'm doing here, either._ "A lot of things have happened along the way," he said finally. "A great many things." He looked up, a question on his mind. "So, what's someone like_ you_ doing in a place like this? I mean, I assumed you were from Orb..."

Cagalli hesitated. _How much can I really tell him?_ she wondered. _He_ is_ Kevin's friend, so he must be an all right guy, but Kisaka wouldn't like it if I told him..._

Kira realized the question had made her uncomfortable, so he changed the subject. "So, you know Kevin, huh?"

She brightened. "Yeah, I do. We grew up together; best friends all our lives." Cagalli glanced at the nearby Punisher, upon whose Striker pack Kevin could be seen standing, hair blowing in the wind; how he'd gotten up there was a mystery. "A lot of things have happened to him since I last saw him. But he's still my friend."

He scratched his head. "I see. Are you two... uh...?"

Cagalli whirled, glaring. "Absolutely not!"

"Uh, sorry," Kira said hastily, startled by the vehemence of her reaction. "I didn't mean..."

"No, it's okay," she said, relaxing. "You couldn't have known." She grimaced, remembering. "Back home, people always _assumed_ we were together, and it drove us both crazy."

"Yeah," Kira said quietly, knowing how scary Kevin could be when angry. "Yeah, I can see that..."

* * *

That night, after the Earth Forces crew and the resistance fighters began to get comfortable with one another, Kevin and Cagalli walked toward the _Archangel_; she'd realized suddenly that she hadn't caught the Strike pilot's name, and asked Kevin to introduce her properly. 

Along the way, they heard voices ahead, coming closer. "Wait a minute, Flay!" they heard Sai call.

"Will you shut up?" Flay replied angrily. "Keep your distance from me!"

A moment later, she came into view, and Kevin noted something didn't seem quite right. _Something's wrong,_ he thought, stretching out with his empathic sense; it had gotten to the point where he could begin to make out emotions. _There's something going on that doesn't feel right..._

After casting a venomous glance at the girl from Orb and an oddly nervous look at Kevin, Flay brushed past, picking up the pace. When Kira came down the stairs out of the ship, she began running. "Kira!" she called.

Kira blinked in surprise as Flay grabbed his arm and seemed to hide behind him. "What?" he asked Sai, who had just stopped.

Sai's eyes narrowed. "I need to talk to Flay," he said, voice quietly grim. "It's not your business, Kira."

"He's involved in this too!" Flay retorted, gripping Kira's shoulder. "Don't you- Don't you understand that he and I are together now?"

Sai wasn't the only one surprised by that statement; Cagalli ducked behind an outcropping, and Kevin blinked as he did the same. For him, that was akin to fainting in shock. He'd thought something was up, something not quite right, when Flay had abruptly started being far friendlier and more supportive of the two Coordinators, but it had not occurred to him that Kira and Flay had become so close.

He also wasn't sure he trusted it. _Actually, I _know_ I don't trust it._

After exchanging startled expressions with Kira, Sai became angry. "Well, Kira?" he said. "Explain this to me, Flay. You... you're..."

"Why should I explain myself?" Flay replied hotly. "It has nothing to do with you, Sai."

"Just forget it, Sai," Kira said quietly, looking away.

Sai's expression turned to one of despair. "What's that?"

The Coordinator looked up. "Anyone can see you're chasing after someone who has no desire to be with you," he said, raising his voice.

"Who do you think you are?" Sai snarled.

"I'm tired from the last battle," Kira said, turning with Flay toward the hatch. "Just do me a favor... Just stop all this."

Sai stared at him as he climbed the steps into the ship, hands clenching. Then he rushed forward.

Kevin made no move to intervene; he was rather looking forward to seeing how Kira dealt with the attack. "He's lucky it's not me he's going after," he murmured to Cagalli. "I'd probably kill him before my brain caught up with my reflexes."

"Kira!" Sai shouted, reaching for his shoulder... and Kira sensed him coming. The pilot suddenly turned, grabbed Sai's arm, and pinned it behind him.

"That's enough," Kira said, glaring down at his classmate. "If I took this seriously, you wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against me." He released Sai's arm, letting him fall to the dirt.

Flay gasped, startled; she'd never seen Kira do something like that before. She hadn't realized he was capable of it.

Sai lay on the ground, staring up at Kira with a frightened look on his face, and tears in his eyes. "Kira...?"

"Flay has been... kind and considerate to me," Kira said, facing away and looking at the deck. "She stayed with me the whole time. She held me in her arms, and she said she'd look after me!" He turned suddenly, eyes bright and fierce. "No one even stops to think about what I must be feeling!" he shouted. "What goes through my mind during a battle!"

"Kira...?"

Flay's eyes reflected her surprise, but then she wrapped her arms around the distraught Kira. "Hey, Kira..."

Both Kevin and Cagalli turned quickly at the sound of the alarms; Kevin understood it first. "ZAFT's attacking..." he murmured. "Tassil's under attack." He sprang into motion.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has returned to the ship, Andrew Waltfeld has noticed something oddly familiar about his tactics, and Kevin has realized something isn't quite right between Flay and Kira. Before long, he'll run into his mentor once again… this time, on the field of battle. 

Moi, I'm glad Kevin Walker meets with your approval; and he will certainly put a "spin" in the character interaction later on.

Red Eyed Divine Dragoon77415, it shouldn't be much longer before I can spare the time to write up a chapter for the Second Story; bear with me.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I have every intention of continuing this arc into Destiny, but it will be some time yet. I am not an importer, and I'm afraid my Japanese may as well be nonexistent (I use a dictionary for the Japanese I use in my writing, and I suspect a real Japanese would either laugh out loud at the syntax, or drop dead of apoplexy). Thus, a sequel will be forthcoming, it will just take awhile. In the meantime, this story is far from complete.

As to your second question, I must say this: keep reading. Sequence and order, time and stress; all will be revealed at the proper time. I will say this, however: I never could quite see the Cagalli/Athrun pairing.

Shinji Ikari, as regards to Kevin's survival, my stance is that there are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy. There are some mysteries that are simply never solved.

And no, he's not related to Kira and Cagalli; but "good old Colony Mendel" _does_ have a role in all this. You're right in that the remaining questions will go unanswered for some time to come… and you shouldn't necessarily believe the first version of events that is told.

It actually hadn't occurred to me to wonder about Lacus' possession of the "SEED factor". I always thought the explanation provided in the official website's glossary sufficed; an explanation I make reference to earlier in the story.

You were right about what was the added scene, though the line about "utter lack of sympathy" was written before you reviewed.

I should mention, by the way, that he doesn't necessarily need to read someone's _thoughts_ to make educated guesses about them; emotions can tell you a great deal about someone's intentions. And believe me, Kevin _will_ have an… altercation… with Flay, later in the story.

Daniel Lynx, Kevin's proper meeting with his old mentor is only a couple of chapters away; stay tuned.

One last thing I should mention: repetitions of reviews really aren't necessary. Not a complaint, just an observation that saying the same thing ten times _is_ a little redundant.

That seems to cover everything; let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	12. Chapter 12: When Berserkers Attack

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

The Desert Dawn's camp was suddenly busier than a beehive as reports came in that the town where most of them lived, Tassil, was under attack by ZAFT forces. 

One of the resistance fighters, manning a radio, slammed his fist down on the machine. "I can't get through!"

"Those filthy pigs!"

Kira, Flay, and Sai were equally startled, especially when Cagalli raced past, and the Coordinator broke into a run, wondering what was going on. "Kira, wait!" Flay protested, and ran after him; Sai brought up the rear.

"I need at least half of you to remain here, at the base," Sahib was telling his men. "There could be a second force."

"This isn't good, Commander," Ramius observed to La Flaga. "What do you think we should do?"

"If there's one thing about the Desert Tiger, it's that he's not known to be needlessly violent," the Hawk of Endymion said. "But it's not as if I'm personally acquainted with the guy; Blade would be the one to ask." He shrugged. "What'll we do? Do you think we should go too?"

She thought for a moment. "It wouldn't be a good idea to have the _Archangel_ go anywhere," she said slowly. "We can't rule out the possibility of a second attack force." She smiled at him. "Someone should go, so how about it, Commander?"

"You mean me?" he said in mock surprise.

"The Skygrasper is the quickest way to get there, right?"

"That is true... Okay. I'll be right there." La Flaga ran back toward the ship.

"Just try and help out the best you can, Commander!" Ramius called after him. "I'll also send a jeep with the doctor and some other crew to help!"

Cagalli rushed out of one of the caves, carrying a rocket launcher. She glanced around, looking for transportation, and one of the group's artillery vehicles pulled up in front of her. "Climb aboard, Cagalli," its driver, Ahmed, said.

"Thanks, Ahmed!" As she climbed in, Kisaka leapt into the back, carrying another launcher and several rockets.

A moment later, a figure coalesced out of the darkness. "Mind if I tag along?" Kevin said; he'd split up with her when the alarms sounded, presumably to retrieve equipment.

Cagalli smiled. "Get in, Kevin." She noted that he wore a black leather jacket over a flak vest. He wasn't visibly carrying weapons, but there was a suspicious bulge in his jacket suggesting a shoulder-holstered revolver, and a knife hilt was barely visible on his hip.

Kevin grinned back, then held on for dear life as Ahmed kicked the truck into high gear, tearing off in a spray of sand. "Ah, stability, I miss thee so," he muttered. His hand darted reflexively under his jacket, caressing the wooden grips of his Colt. "You sure this thing is safe?"

"Ahmed will get us there intact," Cagalli assured him. "A little shaken, but fast."

"Shaken, not stirred," he muttered; his death wish seemed to have been replaced with a tendency towards wisecracking during stressful situations. It certainly wasn't his way of dealing with tension; Kevin Walker didn't get tense. He did, on the other hand, have a healthy dislike of bumpy rides, and hoped that Ahmed would try driving a little more carefully.

Long before they got anywhere near Tassil, Kevin felt ready to throw up.

* * *

Cagalli, her driver, and her bodyguard were horrified when the flames became visible over Tassil, yet Kevin was more relaxed. "Don't worry too much, tovarisch. I know it looks bad, and the town itself is certainly going to need some work, but there won't many, if any, fatalities." 

Cagalli jerked her head around, fury evident on her face. "How do you know that? The Desert Tiger-"

"I know Andy Waltfeld," Kevin shot back, "and I know he'd never just burn down a town without warning the people to leave first! Look beyond the fact that he's the enemy, Cagalli; the Desert Tiger is probably the most honorable commander you'll find in ZAFT! And be honest with yourself: the fact that Tassil was chock full of weapons made it a legitimate military target. As long as they took care to harm as few civilians as possible, this action is no more dishonorable than any other."

She stared at him in shock. "Just whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Mine," he said flatly. "It just so happens that 'my' side includes you, the _Archangel_, and the Desert Dawn; ZAFT is even _more_ my enemy than they are yours." His tone softened. "I didn't say that ZAFT was in the right, Cagalli. I just said that when you have a town filled with weapons, that makes the town a legitimate target. Would you refrain from attacking a church or a hospital that was full of terrorists, just because of what it was? You don't hold your fire, you just use tactics that minimize collateral damage." Kevin shook his head as the truck came to a stop, noting absently the Skygrasper going overhead. "You can call me a monster if you want," he said, climbing out. "Others have, and I no longer deny it. Just don't expect me to blindly think everyone in ZAFT and everything they do is evil."

Cagalli stared after him as his black-clad form disappeared into the night. "You _have_ changed, Kevin," she said to herself. "Maybe the boy I once knew _is_ dead." She winced, ashamed, and regretting now her choice of words. "But you're no monster."

As she saw it, the name Blade fit him perfectly. He had been cast into the fire, and came out tempered and purified: the perfect warrior, one with the skills of a soldier and a warrior monk's knowledge of when to use them.

Perhaps, she thought, others would benefit from his attitude.

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Mu La Flaga nearly had a heart attack when the shadows next to his grounded Skygrasper suddenly coalesced into Blade, standing a mere meter away. "What the? Oh, it's you, Blade. I didn't even know you were out here." 

"Hitched a ride with Cagalli," Kevin said; he was absently flipping his knife. "Wanted to see if I was right about what Waltfeld would do."

La Flaga shrugged. "It was pretty surprising, wasn't it? A few injuries, sure, but not one death. I didn't expect that."

"I did," the younger pilot said. "I've met Andrew Waltfeld, and the Waltfeld I knew wasn't the type to slaughter innocent civilians. Destroy weapons stockpiles, sure. But murder? I don't think so." He grimaced. "Unfortunately, Cagalli didn't quite see it that way."

The Hawk of Endymion took a closer look at his young comrade, and inwardly raised his eyebrows in surprise at the changes he saw there. No longer did Kevin's eyes bear the haunted look of someone who has seen too much and desires only death; the brush with insanity had left its mark, but in its place was a new strength, the strength of one who has seen, and experienced, the depths to which men can fall.

He wondered if the change had anything to do with the young girl with whom he'd arrived; La Flaga had seen them spending quite a bit of time together, and heard Kevin's classmates speaking of them. Since their arrival at the resistance base, the two had been nearly inseparable, and he suspected they'd known each other since long before.

"So," La Flaga said, "how are things going with the girl?"

Kevin half-smiled. "I know what you're thinking, Commander, but I'm afraid you're incorrect. It's not like Flay and Kira; she's just an old friend I hadn't seen in years, and who thought me dead. That's all there is to it."

The older pilot raised an eyebrow. "Kira and Flay? I know she was worried about him when he was unconscious, but I thought she was Argyle's girlfriend."

"That's what I thought, too," Kevin said, staring into the flames. "More to the point, _Sai_ thought so. But he had a pretty acrimonious exchange with Kira just before the alarms started, and Sai ended up flat on his back in the dirt." He nodded approvingly. "Kira's not in my league, but then neither is anybody else. I can think of very few Naturals who could take him."

"Was anybody hurt?"

"Just Sai's pride." Blade scowled, looking wise beyond his years. "But I'm going to keep an eye on all three of them. Sai's starting to look a little unstable -I should know the signs, having been so myself- Kira's been a little messed up since the battle in orbit, and Flay..." He glanced at La Flaga. "Commander, _she_ scares the daylights out of me. I didn't know her as well as the others did before all this started, but I remember that she was a friendly, naive girl. After her father died... I could understand the anger she expressed toward us, even the hate, but just before our little run-in before the orbital disaster, she starting acting real friendly. Now this thing with Kira... An unpredictable Flay scares me. She has... a certain amount of sympathy for Blue Cosmos, and I would not put it past her to tell them my whereabouts if she suddenly decides she doesn't like me. And if that happens, people are going to get hurt."

"But you're not leaving?" La Flaga said, recalling Kevin's words before the rendezvous with the Eighth Fleet.

"No, sir, I'm not." His expression was chilling; frozen jade eyes reflecting raging fires. "I'm through running from my past. If they come after me, it'll be the worst, and last, mistake they'll _ever_ make." Kevin smoothly drew his Colt, sighting it against the fiery scene before him. "They'll learn, as have so many others, that to hunt the Blade is to die," he said softly, voice even colder than his eyes.

* * *

As the resistance fighters conferred and began getting a handle on the fire, Kevin wandered over to Cagalli's driver. "It's Ahmed, isn't it?" he said, stopping in front of him. "Cagalli's driver?" 

The younger fighter nodded. "That's me." Ahmed raised his eyebrows. "You're the guy Sahib and the others called Racher, right? I remember them taking about you sometimes, wondering if you'd gotten to safety. That was before I was old enough to fight."

"That's right. You can call me Blade." Kevin glanced toward Cagalli, who was conversing with Ashman. "I saw your reckless stunts, by the way, when you showed up at the _Archangel._ I suggest you be a little more careful. If Cagalli gets hurt, I'm going to be very angry." He delivered the warning in a conversational tone, but his feelings were not at all calm.

Ahmed cocked his head. "What's with you?"

Kevin's right hand shot forward, grabbing a fistful of Ahmed's shirt and hoisting him off the ground. "I've seen how you act around her; don't even bother denying your feelings. If one of your reckless attempts to impress her gets her killed, you'd better hope you don't survive it either." He smiled coldly, eyes jade ice. "Because if you do, I'll hunt you, and I _guarantee_ you won't survive _me_. Consider this a friendly warning; you won't get another. But if you just learn to drive a little more carefully, that situation will never arise, will it?"

The resistance fighter shook his head convulsively. "Of course not," he said, mildly terrified of the killer that had been revealed within the other teenager, little older than he was.

"Good." Kevin dropped him, and walked away.

Cagalli caught up with him a few steps into the darkness. "Hey, Kevin. I see you had a little talk with Ahmed."

He shrugged. "We reached an understanding." _He steps out of line and I shoot him. I'd call that an understanding._

She touched his arm. "I'm sorry about I said earlier; you were right. It's just, after seeing something like this..."

He nodded. "I understand. And I probably wouldn't have been so blunt, but things like compassion and tact were burned out of me a long time ago." Kevin grinned. "Be glad we're not in Orb; if someone caught me talking to you like that there, I'd probably be stoned in the street."

"So you're serious about not returning to Orb?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "You know how much I grew to hate my high status there, and the royal treatment that went with it. And face it: your father never did approve of me. I expect that if he hadn't needed my parents' support in the government, he wouldn't have allowed me anywhere near you."

Cagalli frowned. "Come on, Kevin, it wasn't that bad."

"Yes, it was," he disagreed. "There was something about me Lord Uzumi didn't like, and to be honest, he might even be right, now. These days, I'm not exactly the kind of guy people expect princesses to associate with. Used to be, I was considered something of a prince myself; now I'm not even a proverbial Knight in Shining Armor. Lord Uzumi would probably want me summarily shot. Lucky for me, Orb thinks I'm dead and the Chief Representative doesn't have that kind of power." Kevin met her eyes. "When next you speak with your father, I'd appreciate it if you not mention I'm alive. Even if he really _doesn't_ disapprove of me that much, I would really, really hate it if I got dragged back into that life. I had to die to escape it once; there is no way I'm going back."

"I understand," she said, which was partly true; she understood perfectly his desire to remain anonymous. But it had not before occurred to her that her father might have had something against the then-fencing champion. Now that she thought about it, though... Uzumi Nara Athha was very good at concealing his feelings, but whenever he thought no one was looking, he'd slipped and showed something besides amused tolerance, on those occasions when Kevin and Cagalli had been together.

"Peaceful place," she heard Kevin murmur beside her, "even if it is hotter than bloody blue blazes."

She turned to him. "You know, Kevin, there's something I've been wondering about since you disappeared two years ago."

He turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"I remember the times you visited home from the Moon pretty well," Cagalli said, "and I've been wondering for awhile now: why did you spend so little of that time with your parents?"

Kevin froze for a moment, then turned back to the flames. For a time, she thought he wasn't going to answer, but he finally spoke, voice barely audible over the crackling fires. "Ever since I was first sent to that school in Copernicus," he said slowly, "I've been exposed to how normal people live. Ten years ago, I saw what it was like to be treated as a simple human being, not some kind of nobility. It was... refreshing, you know? No special treatment, no obsequious servants... and most of all, no political maneuvering or unwanted attention." He looked up at the starry sky. "Up there, beyond the grip of gravity, I could just be _myself_. The only other times I felt that way were when I was with you. You see, my parents never understood that; they lived for politics. It _was_ their life, and they never understood that I hated it. They expected me to follow them into politics, expected it to consume me, too. It was part and parcel of how they treated me, so the only way I could get away from it was to get away from them."

She gazed at his scarred face, and nodded slowly, understanding. "I had no idea..."

"Neither does anybody else." He gave a hollow laugh. "And the thing of it is, the real irony, is that they finally got a clue about it just before they died. They promised me that that trip to the PLANTs would be the last bit of politics I'd ever have to endure, and then I could get on with my own life, do what I wanted to do. They didn't understand it, but they recognized it." Kevin closed his eyes in remembered pain. "And then they died, and I was set adrift. The next time I felt at home was two years later, when the Yamato family took me in. I'd known Kira for a long time, ever since Copernicus, so his parents took me in on Heliopolis. I lived with Kira for that year of peace." He finally looked at her again. "You can trust Kira, Cagalli. With your life. He's tovarisch."

Cagalli nodded again, this time with a hint of surprise. "Tovarisch" meant "comrade", but when Kevin Walker said it, he meant something more. There were few people he called that, but when he did, it meant he trusted them implicitly, and considered them very close friends. They were the ones with whom his loyalty truly was.

Kevin sighed, and it took her a moment to realize it was contentment, something which seemed almost alien to this new, darker incarnation of the friend who had been almost a brother to her. "Ahh, it's good to see you again, mon ami," he said, staring into the flames. "This war is the darkest thing I've ever seen, but somehow it's a little easier to endure when I've got someone I can talk to, someone who knows who I really am." He put an arm around her shoulders. "I've lived in the shadows for far too long; I've lived far too many lives in the last three years. That there's someone I don't have to hide from... It's a great relief." He smiled. "You're the only person alive who knows who I really am."

She nodded. "I can't imagine what the last few years must have been like for you, but it's good to see you, too." Cagalli smiled, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Unless you've got a friend who'd object...?"

He glanced away. "She died," he said softly. "At my own hand." Kevin drew a ragged breath. "But I guess it's just as well; I'll never know if we would have been that close had I been in my right mind."

She winced. "I'm sorry, Kevin."

"It's an old wound now," he said. "Just another part of my dark history. You're right; I should remember the past, but not let it dominate my present."

Cagalli looked at his face, seeing the scar that adorned it. "Speaking of old wounds, Kevin, I've been meaning to ask you... how'd you get that scar?"

"Oh, this?" Kevin shrugged, thinking back. "Remember how I ended up in Orb, two years ago? I'd just been chased through the Debris Belt by some pirates; ended up crash-landing on Earth, and in the process the controls blew up in my face. When I came to, my right eye was gone, and there were pirates standing over me; I remained conscious long enough to take care of them, then dropped off again. When next I awoke, it wasn't long before I ran into you."

She reached out and touched his face. "How much...?"

He felt the scar with his hand. "The scar marks the boundary... between flesh and machine." His hand moved over, touching hers. "Feels real, doesn't it? But that explosion blew off fully half my face, and everything to the right of the scar is synthetic, including the eye. Doesn't feel right, either; not to me."

Cagalli smiled, lightly stroking the synthetic flesh. "Feels okay to me."

"It would." Kevin glanced up abruptly, noticing Ashman arguing with some of the other resistance fighters. "What the...?"

Cagalli's eyes widened as the fighters suddenly drove off. "They're chasing the BuCUEs!" She took off running, trying to catch Ashman.

"Are you out of your mind?" Kevin followed her, catching up just as Ashman pushed her away. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he demanded.

Before she could reply, another truck drove up. "Climb aboard, Cagalli," Ahmed said.

Kevin sighed and hopped in after her. "Well, if you're gonna pull a crazy stunt like this, I'd better tag along." Sitting back, he closed his eyes, apparently concentrating.

Cagalli jumped slightly and glanced at him when she heard a click come from the general direction of his skull. "Kevin, what are you...?"

He smiled, opening his eyes. "Just summoning reinforcements. Not sure if it'll get here in time, though."

Back at the remains of Tassil, La Flaga and Badgiruel watched the Desert Dawn guerrillas go. "What can I say," the pilot said. "This is a land where both the wind and people get very heated."

"They're going to be wiped out!" Badgiruel protested. "With their mediocre equipment, they don't stand a chance against the BuCUEs."

"You're so right." La Flaga looked at her, an amused smile on his face. "What'll we do?"

She blinked. "Don't ask me, I haven't a clue."

* * *

"What did you say?" Ramius said when La Flaga reported at daybreak. "They went after the enemy? But don't they know how crazy that is? Why didn't you try to stop them, Commander?" 

He winced at the volume. "Like I could," he said. "They were so determined that if we'd tried, they'd attack _us_." La Flaga looked out over the refugees from his vantage point on his fighter. "More importantly, there are many injured here who need treatment. _And_ there's the problem of food, and especially water. What'll we do?"

The Captain pondered the problem, recalling as she did so the young woman who had been among the resistance fighters, whom both Kira and the Blade had recognized. "I'll send Ensign Yamato to check up on them," she said finally. "We can't just sit by while they get wiped out. I'll also send our remaining vehicles with water and medical supplies."

"Roger that." La Flaga's image winked out.

"Crewman Haw, order the Strike to launch at once."

"Yes, Ma'am." Mir turned back to her console. "Kira, prepare the Strike for launch."

"Roger that. Kira Yamato, launching!"

As the Strike lifted off and headed out on its mission, Mir noticed activity on the displays linked to the other launch bay. She frowned. "Captain, the Punisher is preparing itself for launch."

Ramius spun around. "What? I thought Ensign Walker wasn't back yet."

"Ma'am, he isn't; Commander La Flaga reported he left with the resistance fighters." Mir shook her head in confusion. "According to Chief Murdoch, it just sealed its own hatch and started moving for the catapult." She looked back at the Captain. "Shall I cancel the launch sequence, Captain?"

Ramius paused. "No, Crewman," she said after a moment. "Let it go. I'm not sure what's going on, but I _am_ sure Ensign Walker arranged it somehow. I'll trust his judgment."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

Ensign Walker himself was questioning his own judgment at that moment, and wondering if his signal had gotten through at all. 

He also thought himself to be completely and totally insane. "Is it just me, or are we crazy?" Kevin asked, glancing at Cagalli. "Eight artillery trucks against three BuCUEs?"

"If you think it's so crazy, why'd you tag along?" she riposted, loading a rocket launcher.

"Because," he replied, loading another, "it's far more difficult to kill me than any of you, so I'm the perfect choice to try and keep you out of trouble. Failing that..." He slammed the rocket home. "I'm a good shot. Thing is, I hate rocket launchers."

Cagalli grinned fondly. "Don't like the brute-force approach?"

Kevin raised the weapon to his shoulder, peering down the rudimentary sights as the mobile suits came into view. "Something like that; it's like taking a broadsword to a fencing match." His eyes narrowed. "And if you remember, one of my opponents back in Orb actually tried that, with some crazy idea that sheer strength would work against me where others had failed with technique."

"And you took him apart," she said, recalling the incident.

"Taught him a valuable lesson: speed and maneuverability can make up for a lack of brute strength; that's why axe-wielders have fallen to the sword so much over the centuries." His bionic eye registered as close to a target lock as one could get with a rocket launcher. "Okay, I'm on target. Firing now." Kevin squeezed the firing mechanism, sending a rocket-propelled grenade speeding through the air not toward the mobile suits, but rather the jeep ahead of them; Andrew Waltfeld may have been his mentor, but now he was the enemy, and Kevin had no aversion to assassination.

The BuCUEs' pilots, however, were not interested in letting their commander die, and one of them interposed itself between missile and target, causing the explosive charge to detonate on the BuCUE's heavy armor.

"Nice trick," he muttered. "But I'm smarter than you are." Kevin began reloading his weapon, while Cagalli and Kisaka opened fire on the mobile suit.

"Yeah!" Ahmed shouted as the rockets connected, hitting the BuCUE right in the ankle. "We did it!"

Blade nodded approvingly. "That's right, go for the joints; it's our only chance against mobile suits." He raised the weapon to his shoulder again, wincing as one of their comrades' vehicles exploded, run over by a BuCUE. "That one is out of action; concentrate your fire on the two still mobile."

His next shot was delayed, as Ahmed's next trick had him holding on for dear life: the young resistance fighter slipped the truck neatly between the legs of a BuCUE, giving them a perfect belly shot. Kevin, Cagalli, and Kisaka opened fire simultaneously, striking the mobile suit's belly armor... which was barely scratched by the barrage.

"I'll get you!" its pilot shouted, and raised a foot.

"Jump off!" Kisaka shouted, hauling his charge out while Kevin leapt out as if made of springs.

Ahmed glanced around in confusion, and thus was still in the driver's seat when the BuCUE struck, knocking the truck flying. "Aaaahhhh!" he screamed, hurtling through the air.

"Ahmed!" Cagalli cried out, seeing her friend land heavily a few meters away.

"This is bad," Kevin muttered, staring up at the mobile suit, which was preparing to strike them again. "This had better work..."

His hand darted into his jacket and came out with a fistful of revolver; in the space of less than half a second, he slipped into the two-handed Weaver stance, aimed high, and pulled the trigger twice.

Ordinarily, this move would have been less than useless. But Kevin Walker did not use ordinary bullets; though he could do nothing but pray as the projectiles sped toward their target, striking it in the optical sensor lens... and temporarily blinding it, with a pair of small explosions that cracked the lens.

Take a hollowpoint bullet. Fill it with mercury. Cap it with wax. You've got a miniature high-explosive bullet with a slim chance of damaging even a mobile suit's optics; had the target been human, he would probably have been blown apart.

Of course, that still wouldn't have stopped the BuCUE from making a blind, and probably lethal, swipe at them, but Sahib Ashman was angry. Anger a man of the desert, and he will make you hurt.

This Ashman did, by firing two RPGs at once, thoroughly distracting the gigantic weapon from its intended prey. And he continued to be a great distraction, until a BuCUE came up behind him, and was itself greatly distracted a moment later.

Martin DaCosta was the first to see the incoming enemy. "Inbound heat source detected! Commander, it's coming from-"

A beam lanced out of the sky, vaporizing sand directly to the left of one of the BuCUEs. "What the-"

"It's the Strike, really?" Cagalli said in surprise, watching with relief as the humanoid mobile suit flew into view in Aile Striker mode, firing its beam rifle.

"It's about time, Kira," Kevin muttered, also relieved; even his augmentation wouldn't have allowed him to survive if a BuCUE had decided to sit on him.

"I missed it?" Kira said, surprised. "Right. The heat convection must be causing it!" The Strike hit the ground, running on foot as Kira hastily reprogrammed the targeting systems.

His next shot caught the enemy mobile suit in the back, causing its missile launcher to break off, exploding some distance behind. "How did he-"

"The weapon from the Earth Forces," DaCosta said, somewhat dazed. "It came to rescue them?"

"It's equipped with different hardware than the last time," Waltfeld observed. "Check out that beam targeting; has he instantly included the heat convection within the parameters?"

While the Strike engaged the BuCUEs, Cagalli knelt beside Ahmed's broken body. "Ahmed! Ahmed, speak to me! You _have_ to pull through!"

Finally, the young man's eyes opened, and he reached up toward her. "Cagalli..." he said weakly. "To me... you are the..."

His hand fell back, and his eyes closed forever.

Cagalli cradled Ahmed's motionless body in her arms. "Ahhhhmedddd!"

Behind her, Kevin stood silently, feeling helpless; grief was an emotion with which he had long ago parted company, so all he could do was stand there, with a hand on his friend's shoulder, simply being there. But, perhaps, it was enough. "Even though..." he murmured, "...I don't have any more tears to shed."

Without warning, a nearby sand dune erupted as a giant form burst into view: the Punisher, obeying its master's call. A strange fire lit Kevin's eyes as he released Cagalli and ran over to his machine, an odd contrast to the jade ice that they usually became.

"Where are you going?" Cagalli called after him.

"To avenge Ahmed," he replied, swarming up toward the hybrid suit's hatch. "And all those these ZAFT flunkies would kill. The desert sun will truly be bloody this day!" The hatch sealed behind him.

Cagalli and her bodyguard shielded their eyes from the sand as the Punisher's verniers propelled it into the sky, right hand already darting to its hip to draw its katana.

Once Kevin Walker had been known as Orb's greatest fencer; today these ZAFT pilots would learn why.

* * *

Observing the strange, hybrid mobile suit coming to life, Andrew Waltfeld lowered his binoculars. "Well, well. I had no idea Racher was in the area." 

DaCosta glanced at his superior in confusion. "Sir?"

Waltfeld looked at him. "Around two years ago, a young fellow, barely fifteen, going by the name of Racher, passed through this region. I encountered him in Banadiya; he was seeking instruction in the art of war. I obliged him, teaching him both tactics and strategy, and the psychology of war. In the process, I learned some of the youngster's history; I never found out who he really was, but he did mention that he was officially dead, and that he had Blue Cosmos tailing him." His gaze returned to the Punisher. "Racher was quite the pupil; it appears he's built on that foundation since then."

Over his radio, the pilot of the immobilized BuCUE made a satisfied sound. _"Okay! Back in the game!"_

Waltfeld raised his microphone. "Kirkwood!"

_"Yes, sir?"_ the pilot replied instantly.

"Let me get in and pilot that BuCUE."

His aide looked at him in surprise. "Commander...?"

He smiled. "Some things you can't be sure of until exchanging fire with one another." He climbed out of the jeep and made for the mobile suit.

Meanwhile, Kevin faced another of the BuCUEs with a sword in hand. His face a mask, his only extraneous thought was that it was fortunate this battle was in atmosphere; this way, despite his lack of flight suit, he at least wouldn't have to worry about explosive decompression if his cockpit were breached.

Kira, on the other hand, was quite busy with his target. He knocked it off its feet, and, crosshairs narrowing toward a lock, prepared to fire his beam rifle.

"Give me a break!" the pilot complained... and he got it.

The Strike was hit from behind by the third BuCUE's sudden missile barrage. "The third machine? It's still up and running?" Kira twisted around, evading another salvo midair... and came face-to-face with Waltfeld's machine, which proceeded to knock him out of the sky.

"Even if you only use regular missiles, the phase shift loses its effect after seventy-six hits," the ZAFT commander said, launching more warheads at his enemy. "When that happens, the rifle simultaneously runs out of power."

Kira engaged his verniers at the last moment, slowing his descent and blasting away in another direction, attempting to evade the ZAFT suits.

"Now, you weird and wonderful pilot," Waltfeld said through a grin, firing more missiles, "how are you gonna get out of this jam?"

Kira's eyes went wide, and once more he entered a clearer state of consciousness. He throttled back his verniers, allowing the incoming warheads to detonate ahead of him, and he wrenched the Strike around, bringing it back to face the BuCUEs.

The Strike released its shield, and the fast-moving mass of metal collided with a BuCUE, knocking it out of formation. "What?"

Kira spun, unleashing a blast from his rifle at the solitary target, which barely jumped out of the way. "Attack him separately!" Waltfeld ordered. "Let's try and throw him off balance."

Unfortunately for them, their target was several steps ahead of them; when the first BuCUE leapt for him, the Strike's left hand yanked out a beam saber and sliced off a wing, sending shrapnel flying and the four-legged suit off course... where it collided with the Punisher's katana, cutting it into two distinct pieces, neither of which contained a living pilot.

Snarling in frustration, the remaining BuCUEs charged directly at Kira's mobile suit. "Now you've taken this way too far!" Waltfeld shouted, and fired yet another missile salvo.

Two things happened at once: the Strike flipped in midair, kicking up an obscuring sand cloud, and Kevin targeted the Punisher's hyper-impulse cannon on the missiles. He, too, had entered the Berserker state, and his shot was unerring... as was Kira's.

The warheads detonated, and so did Waltfeld's remaining subordinate. "Hurry, DaCosta!" he ordered, turning around. "We're retreating."

"Right, sir."

The Desert Tiger smiled. "Now that's my kind of guy. Been awhile since I had this much fun."

* * *

The battle over, the Strike and Punisher powered down, and their pilots lowered to the ground, where the surviving resistance fighters awaited. 

Kira pulled off his helmet and stopped. "Are you looking to get wiped out," he said, face grim, "in a place like this?" Cagalli began to glare; he took no notice. "There's absolutely no reason for any of you-"

"That's the last straw!" Cagalli shouted, running up to him. "You heartless moron! They all fought desperately! We're all fighting desperately! All so that we can protect the things and people that are so important to us!"

Kira slapped her in the face, while Kevin looked on, motionless. The resistance fighters stared at him, but he didn't look away from her. "What can you hope to protect when your _feelings_ are the only weapons you've got?"

* * *

Author's note: Tassil's been set ablaze, and Andrew Waltfeld has discovered just who it is he's fighting. Soon, now, Kevin Walker will come face-to-face with his old mentor… and exact a little vengeance along the way. 

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, for various reasons, including the fact that properly localized material tends to have better translations, I'll wait for Destiny to reach our shores; which, from what I can tell, won't be _that_ long a wait, anyway. In the meantime, however, I have another story on the drawing board: another AU novelization of the series, one with a somewhat different focus and a _much_ greater alteration to the storyline; I'll be working on that by the time Brothers in Arms is finished.

And, yes, I _was_ being deliberately cryptic. I prefer not to spoil any surprises. I will say, however, that Kevin _will_ be upgrading to a Gundam-type mobile suit later on; a couple of battles earlier than Kira, as it happens. Fans of other Gundam series will no doubt recognize it.

Bigronnie17, I will reiterate what I said earlier: Kevin _will_ have a confrontation with Flay, but not yet; he is, after all, subtle when he chooses to be.

That seems to cover everything. Read it and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	13. Chapter 13: Master and Apprentice

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Days after the battle with Andrew Waltfeld in the desert, Kevin lay half-buried in the guts of the Punisher, uttering the occasional grunt or curse as tools slipped and hit him. He was the only soul in the _Archangel_'s hanger. 

He'd been there for some hours when Cagalli wandered in. "Is that you, Kevin?" She could see only a pair of black-clad legs.

From within came a thump. "_Ouch!_" A few muffled curses later, Kevin emerged from the access panel, rubbing his head. "Hey, Cagalli. I was just making a few repairs; I'm the only one aboard sufficiently familiar with this bastardized monstrosity."

Curious, she looked up at the enormous weapon. This was the first chance she'd had to examine it up close. "What's wrong with it?"

He looked disgusted. "Everything." Kevin waved the huge wrench he was holding (presumably, that was what had hit him) at the open panel. "Sand in the joints, a stray missile cracked the optics, the scale system short-circuited itself and several other systems, and, to top it all off, they scratched the paint."

"Ouch." Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "You always do this alone? None of your friends help out?"

"I don't see much of them these days," he admitted, setting aside the wrench and wiping his hands on a rag. "Tolle and Mir spend most of their time as a couple, Kuzzey hasn't really trusted me since he learned of some of my shady past -not to mention since I threw him halfway across the ship- Sai's been spending his time going quietly out of his mind -I should know- and Kira, well..." He shrugged slowly. "He's been spending his time with Flay of late." Kevin scowled. "I don't like the smell of it; especially since Flay seems to have moved into Kira's quarters." He shrugged again. "So, anyway, if I want intelligent conversation I pretty much have to talk to myself or the Punisher's computers, and let me tell you: mobile suit computers are _not_ the brightest AIs out there."

"I see. Must get pretty lonely," she observed.

Kevin sighed. "I kinda got used to that over the years; it comes with the territory when you can't trust anybody. I'm only just starting to learn to trust people again. Those years left me with very little faith in the human race, Natural or Coordinator."

Cagalli nodded, still staring at the mobile suit. Suddenly, a light dawned. "This was what you meant by 'reinforcements', wasn't it? You knew it was coming."

He nodded. "Yeah; I've got a radio built into my skull, which operates on a frequency that seems to ignore N-jammers. The Punisher here has limited remote-operating capabilities, enough for me to summon it via radio; I expected trouble in that battle." He looked away. "I only wish it had arrived in time to save Ahmed. I didn't get the chance to know him very well, and I'm afraid the few words I spoke to him were a death threat, but he was obviously a good friend of yours. I'm sorry."

She swallowed hard. "It wasn't your fault, Kevin. You did... what you could..." The pain was too much, too fresh; Cagalli buried her face in Kevin's shoulder, sobbing.

He held her as she grieved; it had been a long time since he'd grieved for anything, but he still remembered how it felt. And when his parents died, he had had no one to share his pain with, no one to turn to. He would _not_ leave his oldest, best friend in that position.

After a few minutes, she finally pulled back and looked up at him. "Sorry about that, Kevin. It's just..."

Kevin shook his head with a smile. "Nothing to apologize for. He was a friend of yours; it's natural. I was happy to be of service." He reached back into a pocket, withdrew a black silk cloth, and gently wiped her face. "That's what friends are for."

"Thanks." Cagalli looked at the cloth and managed a smile. "I see you haven't _quite_ lost your taste for the finer things."

"That's true; I'll admit that I sometimes miss some of the luxuries of home." He shrugged. "But I don't miss the treatment I escaped when my parents died." Kevin glanced away. "That's another reason I'm glad to have been here for you; I didn't have anyone when my parents were killed. They say there's nothing worse than dying alone, but I've done that, and I say it's worse to _survive_ alone, to not have anyone to turn to in time of grief."

"I'm sorry," she said sympathetically. "By the way, where _were_ you that day? You told me you were already in the PLANTs..."

"As it happens..." He paused, uncertain of how she'd react. "I was staying with the Clyne family, in Aprilius."

Cagalli blinked. "You don't mean..."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. I've known Lacus Clyne for a number of years, and since it was a diplomatic mission, Siegel Clyne hosted me for a few days, until I was kidnapped. That was about a month before he was elected Chairman of the Supreme Council."

"Is there anyone you _don't_ know, Kevin?" she said, shaking her head. "The Desert Tiger, the leader of the PLANTs and his daughter..."

"Also the head of ZAFT, Patrick Zala," he said, voice a tad grim. "That's a tale for another time. I also met Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia, just before Artemis' destruction."

Cagalli frowned. "Garcia? I've heard of him, but I don't think anybody knows exactly how he died. There were no witnesses..."

"There was one," Kevin said softly, and she looked closely at his face. "The one who actually killed him still survives."

She saw it in his eyes. "_You_ killed him? Why?"

He hissed softly, apparently at himself. "Like I told you, tovarisch, I have a great capacity for vengeance. Garcia had taken the ship at gunpoint, hauled the officers away, and apparently had something planned for Kira. Then ZAFT attacked, and I used the distraction to make my way to Artemis' control room, where I killed his men in cold blood, and interrogated Garcia himself."

Garcia's eyes widened in recognition. "You're one of-"

"Yes." In a flash, Blade's gun was out again, and he put a bullet right into Garcia's heart. In the four seconds of life left to the treacherous Eurasian, the soldier spoke quite unflinchingly. "You know too much, Admiral. See you in the next life."

"I promised him," Kevin went on, almost inaudibly, "that I'd let him live if he answered my questions. Then I told him he knew too much, and blew his heart out anyway. Didn't feel even a twinge of guilt; just shot him like an animal."

Cagalli laid a hand on his shoulder. "From what you've told me, Kevin, you weren't exactly in your right mind at the time. And after all you've been through, I don't think anybody would blame you." She cocked her head. "Does anyone else know you did it?"

He cracked a slight smile. "Commander La Flaga is virtually certain of it, Captain Ramius strongly suspects it, and Lieutenant Badgiruel appears to think I made the threat as a bluff, questioned him, and stood back while explosive decompression did the job. She doesn't know me well enough yet -though she should- to know that I'm not that subtle. I've always preferred the immediate, permanent solution."

"Yeah, I remember you didn't waste time in your fencing matches," Cagalli recalled. "You weren't the type to toy with them; that's one thing that made you so famous."

"And that fame has made me very cautious." Kevin glanced around, as if worried about eavesdroppers. "I'm pretty sure La Flaga, at least, saw some of my matches; that's one reason I uncovered the scar. My face has changed just enough since then to conceal my identity from everyone except those like you, who've known me under more than one name." He returned his gaze to her. "That reminds me; did you have something specific in mind when you came in here?"

She nodded. "Yeah; Kira and I are going to Banadiya for some supplies, while a couple of your people and some of ours go meet with a black market weapons dealer." Cagalli glanced away briefly, ashamed. "Kira was right, out in the desert." She shrugged it off. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go with us."

His eyes cooled. "Banadiya, eh?" Kevin pulled on his leather jacket over a flak vest, picked up one of his Colt .45s, and checked the chamber. "I'm in." He slid the weapon into a holster at the small of his back; there was already a bulge under his arm.

* * *

Hours later, Ensign Arnold Neumann, the _Archangel_'s chief pilot, brought the jeep to a stop in the middle of Banadiya, looking somewhat uncomfortable out of uniform. 

Badgiruel appeared even more so, as Kira, Kevin, and Cagalli got out. "Meet us back here in four hours, Ensign- I mean, Kira," she said. "Good luck. I'm... uh... counting on you..."

"Right."

"Sailors," Kevin snorted. "At least ground-pounders are used to the occasional covert op; I'd wager the Lieutenant would feel more comfortable in a prison camp than out here."

His companions ignored him; Kira was looking about, seemingly out of place himself. "Are you sure this is where the Desert Tiger's headquarters are?" he said. "It looks so... peaceful."

Cagalli sighed. "Come with me."

She led them to a place where there apparently used to be a building, but now had only a burned-out foundation. Beyond it was visible a large mansion... and several TMF/S-3 GINN OCHERs, the desert model.

"See?" she said. "It looks peaceful, but any resistance is dealt with harshly; one group tried to fight them, out in the Talbadiya factory district. Now it's burned-out ruins." She nodded at the building. "That's where the true power here is. It may look peaceful, but there is no doubt the Desert Tiger is in charge."

Kira nodded slowly, while Kevin stroked the rubber grips under his jacket; the place made him very nervous, and he had the uncomfortable feeling they were being watched. "My word..." he murmured. "Andy Waltfeld never did mess around, did he?"

"Come on," Cagalli said. "We're not here for sightseeing."

* * *

A couple of hours later, the three sat at a table in an outdoor restaurant; Cagalli was going over the list they'd been given. 

"We've gotten everything on here," she said, "except the things that Flay girl asked for. This is ridiculous..."

Kevin paid little attention to his friends' discussion; he happened to agree with Cagalli on the subject of Flay, but he wasn't keeping silent out of long-standing friendship with Kira. He was, rather, exceedingly nervous, surreptitiously glancing in all directions, using his bionic eye to get a closer look at anyone suspicious. He had every reason to be wary: the last time Kevin had been in an outdoor restaurant, a sniper had shot him dead.

He was the first to notice the approach of a stranger with a straw hat, yellow-and-red shirt, and sunglasses. "Excuse me, sir...?"

"I just happened to notice what you ordered," the stranger began, indicating their food, "and it happens that that goes best with..."

Kevin hardly heard what the man was saying, because his empathic sense had suddenly informed him of who he was. _Andy! What are _you_ doing here?_

He carefully kept all signs of recognition from his face; it was entirely possible that Waltfeld didn't recognize _him_, and it was better if it stayed that way. _He'd make the connection far, far too quickly._

So Kevin kept all his attention on his surroundings while his old mentor rambled on about food, hoping he wouldn't be recognized, until he felt a most peculiar sensation. As if his senses had suddenly been limited, and his strength greatly reduced.

That was when the diagnostics began scrolling behind his eye. _Warning. Malfunctions. Electromagnetic sensors: offline._

_Sensory boosters: offline._

_Nano-repair systems: offline._

_Electromagnetic field: offline._

_Pharmacopoeia: offline._

_Strength enhancements: reduced 50 percent._

_ECCM attempting to compensate. Probability of success: 5 percent._

_Jammer pack,_ his mind whispered._ But only twelve of them were ever made, and all of them were destroyed in the explosion. Wrong; one went missing a month before that, and Oracle ordered us to forget about it. There were rumors then of his having made deals with Blue Cosmos, because they both wanted war. Solkin syn!_

Kevin glanced up at the nearby rooftops, and his mouth tightened in anger and worry, for his friends. "Andy," he said quietly, abandoning the pretense, "if you have people here, I suggest you tell them we're about to be under attack."

All three of his companions looked at him in surprise; Waltfeld because of the warning, and Kira and Cagalli because of that and the revelation of who their chatty tablemate was. "Are you sure, Racher?" the Tiger demanded.

"There's no time to chat, Andy," Blade said tensely, "so let's just get them!"

Kira reached out a restraining hand. "Blade, even if they're out there, they haven't attacked yet. You can't just-"

"I don't _care_ if they haven't attacked yet!" Kevin snarled back. "They're Blue Cosmos, and Blue Cosmos must die!" With more than human strength, he shoved Kira away, and without further ado leapt several meters to the center of the street.

His actions apparently set off the Blue Cosmos attack, as the first rocket quickly lanced out from a rooftop toward him; but he was still in motion, twisting aside and making another, shorter leap forward.

That was when the assault element got into the attack, firing automatic rifles.

Andrew Waltfeld had originally intended to call in his people for support, but now he held back, satisfying himself with knocking over the table... inadvertently dumping various types of sauce on Cagalli, who had just been tackled by Kira. _What are you up to, Racher?_ he wondered. _Can you really take them all?_

Apparently, he could. Kevin was effortlessly dodging around bullets (in reality, he was reading his assailants muscles, thus determining where the guns would be pointed when they were fired), and he'd drawn his own revolver; his automatic had fallen from his waistband when he jumped, and had been retrieved by Cagalli.

Now he opened fire, dropping six terrorists before running out of ammo; bullets expended, he holstered the gun and continued the engagement hand-to-hand. He began by ducking a rocket, rushing forward, and snapping the man's neck with a leaping kick.

Another raised his assault rifle, only to have a knife appear in his throat; one more suddenly found himself face-to-face with the dark demon Kevin Walker was now doing a very good imitation of, and had his trachea crushed by a powerful punch.

Kevin followed up by leaping sideways, crushing a terrorist's skull with his boot, and rebounding to sandwich another between himself and a wall.

Very quickly, there was only one terrorist left, across the street; he carried a bulky object, and was clearly Kevin's next target. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the man, raising his hand for a final, killing blow.

That was when a bullet took him in the side, spinning him around. "Think you're tough, huh, Crimson Tiger?" a voice mocked.

Another Blue Cosmos man, heretofore hidden by the shadows, strode up to him, a gloating look on his face. "You'll pay for that," Kevin got out, gritting his teeth in pain.

"Oh, I don't think so... Hydra." The man laughed. "Your kind never were any good without their enhancements, were they? Pathetic, really."

"Good enough to slaughter your entire team, bastard." The fallen super-soldier glared up at him. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world, right?"

"Exactly. Say hello to your teammates, will you? You'll be seeing them soon." The terrorist raised his weapon...

...And his head disappeared into bloody mist as Waltfeld finally opened fire; at the same moment, one of his men killed the other man and destroyed the jammer pack. "The world will only be pure when people like you stop killing people to do it," the Tiger commented. _So _that's_ how Racher got his moves, eh?_ he thought, recalling where _he'd_ heard the name Hydra. _Not that I have any intention of telling anyone. If somebody got away from Oracle, good for them._

That was when one other overlooked attacker stepped from around a corner, aiming his weapon at an unsuspecting Waltfeld's back.

Kira spotted him, and made his move: he threw himself forward, snatched up a fallen pistol, and flung it at the man, catching his gun. Before the terrorist could recover, Kira leapt again, kicking him in the chin; his neck snapped with an audible crack.

Kevin hauled himself to his feet, glancing approvingly at the dead body, and the two Coordinators gazed wearily at each other across the carnage which had only two minutes before been a terrorist attack squad.

It quickly became apparent that they had relaxed too soon, as a rocket suddenly arced out and struck Blade in the chest, blowing him backwards and into a wall.

Cagalli instantly raised the gun she'd taken from Kevin and blasted the shooter in half -she made a mental note to ask him just what kind of ammunition he was using- and ran over to his prone body. "Kevin! Kevin, answer me!"

His eyes opened. "Note to self," he said, quite distinctly. "Flak jacket ineffective against rocket-propelled grenade." His eyes rolled back in his head.

"He's alive," Waltfeld observed, kneeling. "I think he'll be fine. Tough customer."

Martin DaCosta ran up and saluted. "Commander Waltfeld! Are you alright, sir?"

Andrew Waltfeld pulled off his sunglasses. "Yep, I'm just fine. These guys saved my life."

Cagalli's eyes widened. "You mean... we really were talking to the Desert Tiger?"

"Come with me," Waltfeld said. "You can get cleaned up at my place. It's the least I can do, after you saved my life."

"But-" Kira protested.

"I won't take no for an answer. Besides, she's got salsa and yogurt sauce all over her, and he's just gotten blown halfway to next week." The Tiger smiled. "I couldn't let you go home like that."

Kevin stirred. "It's okay, Kira," he said thickly, sitting up. "We'll be fine."

"And hello to you, too, Racher," Waltfeld said pleasantly, helping the younger man to his feet. "It's been awhile."

"Yes, it has," he replied, swaying slightly. "You still make coffee?"

* * *

Minutes later, with Kevin having convinced his companions, they arrived at Waltfeld's headquarters. "Follow me," he said, leading them in. "Racher, I believe you remember your way around; I suggest you change into something a little less scorched." 

Kevin nodded, still dazed. "Yeah... I think I'll do that..." He staggered off.

"Well, well, Andy." A black-haired woman walked over. "So _this_ is the guy you've been talking about?" she asked, looking at Kira.

"That's him." Waltfeld nodded at Cagalli. "How about you get her cleaned up and meet us in a few minutes, Aisha?"

"Sure." Aisha led her into another room.

Kira paused uncertainly. "In here," Waltfeld said from the door to his left.

He entered, looking about in bemusement. Everything that had happened in the last half hour was strange; especially Kevin's incredible speed, and the fact that he and Waltfeld were clearly well-acquainted.

Kira was drawn toward an item displayed an on a side table, something that looked like a fossil. "Evidence Zero One," Waltfeld said. He nodded; he remembered the artifact that had been brought back by George Glenn from one of the moons of Jupiter. "You ever see the real thing?"

"No, sir." He'd heard of it, but...

"I have no idea why they call this thing a Whalestone," the Tiger said, handing Kira cup of coffee. "Does it look like a whale to you?"

"Not really," he said, taking a sip. "So, you and Blade know each other?" he said, giving voice to one of his questions.

"Is that what he's going by these days? When I last saw him, he called himself Racher, the Revenger."

"Yes, I know him," Kevin said, walking in. His blast-scorched street clothes had been replaced by a black suit of military styling, and he seemed to be very comfortable in the formal uniform, as if he'd worn it all his life... "By the way, Andy," he added, "you might as well know it's not Racher. My name is Kevin Walker, these days, but like Kira said, I settle for Blade."

"I see." Waltfeld smiled. "It seems my instruction did you some good. Or so I judge, since you're still alive."

"Yes, it did, for which I am grateful." Kevin settled easily into a chair, himself holding a coffee cup. "It was... two years ago, was it not, when last we saw each other?"

Kira frowned; he'd never heard Blade talk like that before. It was as if donning a formal, high-class outfit had also altered his personality, to something almost... aristocratic. "So how do you know him, Blade?"

Kevin turned his head. "You will recall that about two years ago, I came through this region. I was still new to war, so I sought instruction, and Andrew here obliged me."

"You were, what, fifteen? He stayed about two weeks," Waltfeld said to Kira. "A most attentive student."

"One tries," Kevin said dryly. "Especially when one has Blue Cosmos trying to kill you; I was already a decent fighter, but without your teaching, I likely would not have survived this long."

Kira was getting more confused by the moment; he had known that his friend was a very good actor, and had seen him slip into and out of several other personas, but he was getting the odd impression that even the Blade was a facade, that this aristocrat was the true Kevin Walker. And that made no sense to him. As far as Kira knew, Kevin's parents had been nothing more than government officials. Important ones, perhaps, but not _that_ important.

"Maybe," the Tiger was saying. "But I saw some of your matches; you had the speed and technique to survive on the battlefield."

_Matches?_ Kira thought.

Kevin froze for a moment. "Somehow, Andy, it does not surprise me that you made the connection," he said, sipping his coffee as if nothing had happened. "I would, however, be grateful if you did not mention that to anyone; there are enough people out there who desire my death."

"That's true," Waltfeld acknowledged. "You have more enemies than you know, Blade." He picked up a computer disc and tossed it to him. "Here. It has information I think you'll find useful. Don't thank me; it's possible that I just saved your life, but I've also made it far more complicated."

"That, Andy, does not surprise me in the slightest." He was grimly amused. "_Everyone_ makes my life more complicated, so why not you, too?"

"Back to the point I was making when you entered, Blade," Waltfeld said, nodding at the fossil. "It's interesting how much trouble that thing has caused over the years. After all, it started this whole mess."

Kira blinked. "How so, sir?"

"You don't agree? When you think about it, that's what started this war, if you go back far enough." The Tiger shrugged. "George Glenn's revelations and his creation of the PLANTs to study that rock started the Coordinator boom, and that's what this war is all about, when you get down to it."

"Our genes," Kevin said, nodding. "Perhaps historians will call this the Genetic War, when all is said and done." He chuckled. "Perhaps I will be one of those historians; it would give me an occupation other than war."

Behind them, the door opened, and Aisha led a self-conscious Cagalli in. "Here you are."

Kevin and Kira stood and turned; the Blade nodded approvingly, noting the green dress she now wore. It had been some years since he'd seen his friend in an outfit more appropriate to her rank.

He was amused to note that Kira, on the other hand, was struck dumb, staring at her. His mouth worked a few times, silently, before he managed to speak. "You're... a girl..." he said intelligently.

Embarrassment dissolved into fury. "What did you think I was, huh?" She raised a fist at him.

Kira blushed and raised his hands. "No... I mean..."

Waltfeld, Aisha, and Kevin burst out laughing; the two both stopped, looking embarrassed. "Relax, Cagalli," Kevin said with a smile. "He just hasn't seen you like that before; Kira doesn't know you as well as I do, remember."

As Aisha withdrew, and Kira and Cagalli sat side-by-side on the couch, Waltfeld smiled. "You wear that dress well," he commented. "You look accustomed to such finery."

_If you only knew, Andy,_ Kevin thought.

Cagalli reacted with anger. "Is it your custom to dress people up before you kill them, Waltfeld?" she snarled. "Just another of your affectations?"

"Cagalli..." Kevin cautioned; he liked and respected Andrew Waltfeld, but he did not fully trust him. And his friend was coming all too close to revealing her identity as a member of the Desert Dawn.

"You've got lovely eyes," the Tiger said with a smile. "Something sincere about them. Very lovely eyes..." His expression suddenly hardened. "And too sincere for your own good."

She stood. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Waltfeld also stood. "Are you another one of those who rather perish?" he said softly.

"Nobody... make any... rash moves..." Kevin cautioned. His own hand was straying toward the jacket of his uniform, while Kira and Cagalli retreated toward a wall; her hands on his shoulders as he stood protectively in front of her.

Waltfeld walked over to a small table in the corner. "There are no clear rules for ending a war like this," he said, opening a drawer. "So how do you determine the winners and the losers? At what point do we put an end to it?" He swung a pistol up to point at them. "When every single one of your enemies has been destroyed?"

At the sight of the weapon, Kevin flung himself across the room, landing in a roll and coming up beside Kira, revolver in hand. "I would not do that, Andy," he said softly. "If I shoot you with this, it will detonate, cleanly splitting your spine in two."

"I wouldn't, either," Waltfeld replied, turning his attention to Kira. "I wouldn't try anything rash; we're all Coordinators here, like you. Even if you do have berserker capabilities, there's no way you'll get past all of us."

Cagalli's eyes widened, and she stared at Kira. "What? You're a...?"

"Some may believe it's a Natural piloting that mobile suit, but I'm not so credulous," the Tiger said. "I have no idea what your reasons are for deciding to fight against your own people, and it doesn't really matter." His aim was unwavering. "The fact is that we are enemies, to the bitter end. It can be no other way." Abruptly, he raised the gun and set it aside. "It almost makes you wonder if there's any other way but for one of us to die," he said with a smile.

Cagalli frowned, suspicious. "You're letting us go?"

"We're not on the battlefield," Waltfeld said. "Today, we have met as fellow warriors; I wouldn't kill you here. Besides, I suspect your friend there would make good on his threat, and while I don't believe he could get all of us, that wouldn't much matter to me, now would it?"

Aisha reentered, showing them out. "It is with great regret," Kevin said on his way out, "that I will face you again, Andy. I have no wish to fight you. But it seems we have no choice. It is our Fate."

"See you on the battlefield," Waltfeld called after them.

* * *

Some hours later, after returning to the _Archangel_, Kevin wandered into the hanger and stopped dead in his tracks. "What the _blazes_ happened in here?" The Strike was collapsed on the deck, with the walkway normally leading to its hatch twisted and broken. 

"That Sai kid went and lost his mind, as near as we can tell," Murdoch said. "Snuck in here and climbed into the Strike. He couldn't do much with it, though; just kinda flailed around until he collapsed, and starting ranting about it not being fair, whatever that means." He shrugged. "Nobody was hurt, but he's gonna be in the brig for the next week."

Kevin let out a breath, staring at the twisted metal. "I'll say he lost his mind; I even saw it coming, but I never expected _this_." He shook his head. "I knew that he was a little unstable ever since learning that Flay had dumped him for Kira, but it never occurred to me that he might pull a stunt like this."

"Yeah, well, none of us did." Murdoch cocked his head. "So how'd your trip to Banadiya go?"

"Confusing, but informative." He stroked the grips of his pistol. "I'm gonna have to make a return trip soon. I have... unfinished business to take care of."

Indeed he did; the disc Waltfeld had tossed him told Kevin the exact whereabouts of CARDINAL, and that was an account he intended to balance very soon.

The other piece of information had shocked and angered him; he did indeed have more enemies than he'd thought, and this one was the most surprising yet. Kevin wasn't sure what he was going to do about it yet, but he knew he had to be more cautious than ever.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has had a run-in with Blue Cosmos, and virtually annihilated the cell, despite being shot and nearly blown up, along with having his augmentation disabled; and now there are even darker hints of who and what Oracle was dealing with before the end. 

He has also met his mentor once again, and nearly had to kill him; and what does the Desert Tiger's data portend?

Shinji Ikari, while you may have a point, I should also point out that Kira was generalizing some; after all, Kevin Walker is only one out of dozens of people he currently has contact with. Also, Kira's emotional state has only started going downhill since Yzak's attack on the shuttle in orbit, and he's hardly had a chance to speak with Kevin since then. And, yes, Kevin _was_ put a tad off-balance by the revelation regarding Flay; combined, I would think it would preclude his feeling _too_ bad about it.

As to your other point, I believe what I said was that Chapter 11 was the last chapter that to be _completely_ rewritten; I have quite a few others that merely need tweaking, based on the changes to the first eleven chapters and, of course, reader feedback. You can expect updates to be just as fast as usual.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I will say this about the source material for Kevin's Gundam: the word "wing" is used rather frequently.

As regards your other question: yes, the next story will be centered around another OC (I don't think I've ever written a story that doesn't). As to a summary…

It will focus on a young ZAFT ace pilot known as the Grimaldi Falcon, who led a team nicknamed the "Gray Demons", until being virtually wiped out at Endymion Crater. Now, having deserted for reasons unknown, he is residing safely away from the war in Heliopolis, when his old comrade Rau Le Creuset and perennial rival Mu La Flaga arrive during the attack; before long, the Grimaldi Falcon is drawn back into the war, this time fighting _against_ ZAFT, yet still professing loyalty to the PLANTs; something which is complicated by the fact that his sister is an officer aboard the _Archangel_.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell; the actual story will, of course, be _far_ more complicated; and, as seems to have become a habit with me, the Falcon's past is ambiguous. Anyway, look for it within a few days of Brothers in Arms being finished; I should have a chapter or two ready by then. The tentative -but probably final- title is "Birds of a Feather", a title which will make a certain amount of sense after certain things are revealed about Falcon, early in the story (as you may have figured, I already have the story well thought-out). So, let me know what you think of the idea.

I think that's everything that needs to be said. Read and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	14. Chapter 14: Red Dawn, Red Dusk

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Two days after his meeting with his old mentor-turned-enemy Andrew Waltfeld, Kevin stood in his quarters, assembling his gear. 

The door chimed. "Enter," he said without turning.

Cagalli stepped in. "Hi, Kevin. I was just wondering where you'd gotten to, so-" She broke off, taking a good look at her friend.

He was wearing black commando fatigues, with a Colt M4 carbine with grenade launcher and suppressor slung over his shoulder, his Peacemaker in a thigh holster, and a double row of hand grenades across his chest; he was just screwing a suppressor onto the barrel of a Colt .45 automatic.

"I've got some business to attend to," Kevin said, checking the pistol's chamber and holstering it. "Personal business."

Her eyes narrowed speculatively. "Personal business, and you're covered in weapons. You're going to go kill someone, aren't you?"

"That's right." He slipped a Ka-Bar Marine combat knife into a leg sheath. "Remember that disc Andy gave me? That contained CARDINAL's location. It's time I terminated his account... once and for all."

Cagalli stepped aside, letting him pass into the corridor, then fell into step with him. "Do you need any help?"

Kevin shook his head regretfully. "Cagalli, there's no one I'd rather have with me. But, while you're a superb shot with a gun, you're not trained for this kind of infiltration; I am. I've always worked alone in the past, and I'll have to today. But thanks."

She touched his arm. "Good luck."

"Wish me luck _after_ I've cleared a small leave of absence with the Captain," he said, a touch grimly. "I think she'll agree, but she might not; we'll see."

* * *

Five minutes later, Kevin stood in Ramius' office; La Flaga was there as well. "Is something up, Ensign?" the Captain asked, taking note of his gear. 

He saluted. "Captain, I request an eight-hour leave. Personal business in Banadiya."

La Flaga looked him over, suspicious. "CARDINAL?"

Kevin looked at him calmly. "Commander, it's better for all of us if I don't answer that question. Plausible deniability, among other things."

Ramius examined him carefully; this was the first meeting she'd had with the young commando-pilot since landing on Earth over a week earlier. Like La Flaga, she was surprised by the changes she saw; he was obviously still a vengeful young man, but no longer did it border on psychopathic. "Very well, Ensign," she said gravely. "Are you sure eight hours will be enough, Blade?" she asked in a softer tone.

"If it takes me much longer than eight hours to accomplish that kind of mission, Ma'am," he said dryly, "it means I ran into something I well and truly couldn't handle, and got myself blown into tiny pieces. Besides, I'm not expecting anything that major in terms of defenses."

La Flaga clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, kid; sometime when we're both off-duty, let me know how things went."

Kevin smiled maliciously. "I'll remember that, sir, and it will be my pleasure."

* * *

For the first time since coming to Heliopolis a year earlier, Kevin used every ounce of strength and stealth that he had, even more than on Artemis, as he moved in on his target. 

He reached Banadiya in Skygrasper 3, flying low and fast to defeat radar (once he was in range, of course, since N-jammers also made radar detection difficult), and landed just outside the city. From there, he went in on foot, suppressed .45 in hand in case of sentries; the Desert Tiger hadn't been able to learn much more than Jackson's location, so he was going in blind.

In a way, Kevin relished it; single combat was what he was good at, and so few people could match him that he welcomed the challenge of sneaking into an enemy facility, even if it was just a house, without any intelligence beyond the fact that the target was there.

Careful as always, he ascended to a roof across from his target building first, using binoculars to scout the site. _Let's see... Two floors, four windows to a side, two on each level... No visible guards, cameras, or autodefenses. Something's not right here._

Kevin lowered the binoculars and switched his bionic eye's reception to the electromagnetic spectrum. "That's better," he murmured. "Hmm. As paranoid as you'd expect an ex-intell agent to be." There were cameras covering literally every possible infiltration point, and a number of automated weapons as well, including machine guns and claymore mines. "This could be tricky."

He flicked over to infrared and scanned the building once more, searching for guards. _CARDINAL, you clever bastard; you've thought of everything, haven't you?_ As he'd expected, there were numerous guards patrolling the facility, some of whom Kevin recognized from dossiers Jackson had sent, while they still worked together. _Or while he was still manipulating me, at least._

He switched his eye back to the visible spectrum. "Okay, CARDINAL. You've made it just about impossible to sneak in. You've thought of everything. Except having an augmented Coordinator launch a blitzkrieg on your house."

Abandoning stealth, Kevin stepped back to the opposite edge of the roof, took a deep breath, and ran for the street side; the moment he ran out of roof, he made a flying leap, augmented legs carrying him clear across to within a meter of the target building.

"Knock, knock," he said, and pulled two blocks of a plastic-like substance out of a belt pouch; these he affixed to the door frame, with wires leading to a control unit he held.

Kevin stepped back. "Fire in the hole." He pushed a button, the C4 detonated, and the door exploded in a most satisfactory fashion, spraying lethal splinters everywhere... including into the chest of a very unlucky guard.

Blade leapt in through the resulting smoke. "Knock on wood," he told the corpse, and fired a spray of 5.56 millimeter bullets across the entranceway.

He was blind-sided by another of Jackson's hired fish-in-barrels, who knocked the assault rifle flying... before going flying himself; Kevin had noted he'd broken into a kitchen, snatched up a large cast-iron pan, and bashed the man's skull in with it. "You really need to watch your iron consumption." He drew his Colt .45 and casually blasted a survivor of his carbine attack. "Oh, and be careful; lead poisoning is a common cause of death among terrorists."

Expecting another assault shortly, Blade worked quickly at the doorways, planting items that said "Front toward enemy". "My old friend, Mr. Claymore Mine." At the sound running footsteps, he squeezed the clackers, then stepped through the suddenly quiet, if messy, door, leading to the stairs.

Kevin's attack had been swift and brutal; the one kind a spy like the CARDINAL would never expect. As he ascended the stairs, he quickly blew another Blue Cosmos man into bloody scraps with a small application of C4 to the spine.

He spun as someone called out, "It's the Crimson Tiger! He's inside!" The warning died in a gurgle as a knife appeared in the man's chest.

"You should cut down your blood pressure," Blade suggested, and stepped into the next room. He fired another precise bullet, cutting down another guard, and yanked open another door.

"You!" CARDINAL said in terrified recognition.

"Yes, me." Others would have paused a moment, to gloat over the target of their vengeance and perhaps torment him; Kevin Walker, however, was once a professional assassin, and knew that such things were far too risky. Nonetheless, he intended this to be spectacular, not only to severely punish the man who had caused him more grief than almost anyone else in the world, but also to give Blue Cosmos one tremendous lesson in why hunting the Blade was the worst mistake they could ever make.

He began by simply knocking Jackson unconscious via pressure to the appropriate nerve, thus cutting off blood flow to the brain, then got to work. He tied CARDINAL to a wall, taped a wire to the ceiling, and attached the other end to an explosive; when placed in Jackson's hand, the wire was taut. As long as he could hold up the bomb, he was fine. If he dropped it, the wire would be pulled and the explosive would detonate.

Kevin slapped him awake. "You know, CARDINAL," he said conversationally, "I've got half a mind to kill you outright. I could make some trite speech about how since the law can't get you, this is justice, but I'll tell you the truth: I hate your guts."

"What do you want?" Jackson's voice was a touch shrill, he noted; understandable, since he was tied to a wall with a bomb in his hand and a very deadly teenager stood holding a gun on him.

"World peace. But I'll settle for your bleeding carcass." Kevin calmly walked out of the room and down the stairs, idly wondering how long it would take his old nemesis to completely panic and drop the bomb.

He ceased wondering two seconds later, and flung himself the rest of the way down the stairs as a tongue of flame reached for him. "That was a touch crispy."

"Not bad," a voice said as Kevin reentered the kitchen. "Not bad at all."

He spun, then relaxed as he recognized the speaker, a young man around his age with similar hair and eyes. "Michael Carnehan! You about gave me a heart attack, Mike. What are you-" Exactly _where_ Kevin remembered him from clicked about the time Cagalli came into view, a gun pressed to her head. "Oh, _bloody._"

"That's right, Hydra," Carnehan said with an evil smile. He tightened the arm he had around Cagalli's neck. "It's me, Kraken. Sorry about the girl, but she saw me and came to warn you. Couldn't have that, now could we?"

"Sorry, Kevin," she gasped.

"Not your fault; I'll get you out of this." Kevin's hand hovered next to his holstered Peacemaker; his eyes were full of rage. "Let her go, Kraken. She's not part of this."

"Oh, I think she is, Hydra. You like her, so after I kill you, I'm going to kill her. Or maybe she'll die first, just to make you suffer."

His hands tightened into fists, eyes jade ice. "You're insane, Kraken. More than that, you're supposed to be dead, along with the rest of the Destroyers."

Kraken laughed maniacally. "You mean like you, when you set off that fusion bomb? Or how about Rachel? You killed your girlfriend yourself, remember? Ripped out her throat with your own half-breed teeth-"

_"Shut up!" _Blade snarled; his revolver snapped up and he put a bullet directly into Kraken's skull.

The madman recoiled, releasing Cagalli and his own weapon as the mercury-filled bullet blew the skin off his forehead and nearly put him through a wall.

"Die, you monster!" Tossing the gun aside, Kevin lunged forward, only to get snap-kicked in the gut as his adversary recovered; the impact drove him _completely_ through the wall.

"Nice try, Hydra," Kraken said, straightening. "But I'm like you, remember? I'm augmented. And I've been waiting a long time for this day. I even joined that bastard CARDINAL just for a shot at you. I knew that one day, you'd come for him, and then I'd have my chance for vengeance."

"Revenge for what? Trying to blow you to your constituent atoms? That's war, Mike, people die in war." Kevin dropped into a martial arts stance. "And if you ever mention Rachel Carver's name again, I'll break you in half."

"Try it, Hydra. I dare you." Carnehan flexed his fingers. "And no, it's not just for trying to blow me up; though that's certainly part of it, since we were comrades-in-arms. By killing us, you became a traitor to a cause you were once loyal to." He growled angrily. "And because you killed Scylla."

"Well, excuse me. I was never truly loyal to the 'cause', as you put it. I was brainwashed, remember? And now, I'm gonna fix the mistake I made by missing you with that bomb!"

Kraken crouched. "I'm ready for you, Hydra!"

"Then come and die." Kevin caught Carnehan's leap, twisting aside and grabbing his foot, followed by slamming him into the floor. "I was the best, Kraken! That's why I was chosen to be the leader. The only difference is, I recognized I was being manipulated! I saw what they turned us into!"

Kraken's fist caught him in the jaw, tossing him through a table; Cagalli, watching in morbid fascination, thought it akin to Titans battling in human guise. "Yeah, Hydra, you saw, didn't you? But you didn't recognize that they made us into the ultimate weapons for Coordinator supremacy! It's our destiny to rule over the Naturals left on Earth! But you... you saw us as monsters, you tried to destroy us, you even tried to destroy yourself, heedless of what our deaths would mean for the coming war for domination!"

"It wasn't a war for domination, Kraken, it was a war for freedom," Kevin countered, rising and wiping blood off his chin. "Only the likes of Patrick Zala have gone that far! But it doesn't matter what the war was for. _Revolution... is not... the solution!"_ He spun, landing a roundhouse kick in Kraken's stomach.

"You're wrong, Hydra! Revolution is the only way! But what matters now is killing you!" He lifted the M4 Kevin had lost minutes earlier, lining up for a shot to Blade's neck. Kevin leapt forward, fists clenching...

And Kraken was blown backwards by a mercury-filled round to the stomach; an instant later Kevin landed on him, claws extended and burying themselves deep in the super-soldier's chest, destroying his heart.

Kraken was dying, there was no doubt of that; and in his final moments, he looked up at Kevin, confused. "Commander? Did... did we win?"

Kevin knelt, claws retracting. "Da, tovarisch," he said softly. "We won. Rest now."

"Yes... Commander..." Michael Carnehan closed his eyes for the last time, while Cagalli lowered the smoking revolver she'd picked up.

* * *

Kevin slowly stood. "I thought they were all gone," he murmured, lost in the past. 

Cagalli came to his side, handing him his gun. "Who was he?" she asked softly. Then she looked at the dead man's face, and gasped in shock. "He looks like you!"

He absently holstered the weapon. "Yes, he does, doesn't he? His name was Michael Carnehan, alias Kraken, one of the best of the Abaddon. I thought him dead a long time ago, the day I escaped from the Project." Kevin nodded at the body. "That was my twin brother."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Your _what?_"

"I was surprised too, when I learned of it." He closed his eyes. "You'd have to take DNA samples to be absolutely certain, but during my brief time in Orb two years ago, before I was shot, I came across references to him in some of my father's papers. I'm not certain how or why, but it seems we were separated at birth, and Mike was adopted by a family in the PLANTs. I wasn't certain until now that he was even a Coordinator, let alone the Michael Carnehan I'd known, but I suspected it."

Cagalli blinked, confused. "Wait a minute. What do you mean, you weren't sure he was a Coordinator? I thought..."

Kevin shook his head. "No, my parents were Naturals. Even I was unaware of that until returning to Orb, but it certainly makes Blue Cosmos' targeting of them somewhat ironic, doesn't it?" He took a deep, calming breath. "Doesn't really matter anymore; my parents died three years ago, and now my brother is dead, as well. Michael Carnehan _should_ have died two and a half years ago; now it's all in the past at last."

She gripped his shoulder reassuringly. "Kevin..."

"Come on," he said, turning to the door. "There's nothing here but the dead. Let's get back to the camp before somebody gets around to investigating those explosions."

* * *

They returned five minutes before Kevin's eight-hour leave expired, and La Flaga greeted him as he climbed out of his fighter. "So, did it go well?" 

"Yeah." Kevin dropped to the ground, tucking his helmet under his arm. "It's done."

"You don't sound very pleased about it." La Flaga raised an eyebrow, curious. "Did something happen?"

Blade paused. "Commander, how would _you_ feel if you'd just been forced to kill your own brother?"

"Your _what?_"

"A long and very ugly story, Commander," Kevin said wearily. "It ended today."

The older pilot put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Blade, I'm not sure how much of this you should be telling me. What you're doing is illegal, you know; by rights the Captain and I ought to turn you in."

He cracked a smile. "For what, Commander? I haven't said that I killed Garcia, or CARDINAL, and there's no evidence left in either case. As far as you know, sir, I might simply have been on hand when ZAFT blew the window in on Artemis, and Jackson's house could simply have burned down on its own. And sure, I've just admitted to killing Michael Carnehan, but that was a clear-cut case of self-defense. No court would convict me for that, especially since there's an eyewitness who can testify that Carnehan held her hostage before trying to kill me. And there are _no_ witnesses to the other deaths." Kevin shrugged. "Your conscience is clear, Commander; you don't know anything for certain, and there's no evidence anyway."

La Flaga looked thoughtful; inwardly, he thought that he should have known the world's best assassin would have been that careful. CARDINAL's death might have been spectacular, but there was nothing to connect him to it; though he was clearly unaware of the surveillance footage of Garcia's demise. Not it mattered; La Flaga and Ramius had agreed it should simply be deleted.

"Hey, kid!" Murdoch called, coming up behind them. "I need to talk to you for a sec."

Kevin turned. "What's up, Chief?"

The mechanic pointed over his shoulder, to where the Punisher stood in the hanger. "It's about your machine; I'm afraid it ain't gonna last."

The pilot raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He fell into step with the Chief, walking back into the hanger.

Murdoch shrugged. "Well, you know how jury-rigged that thing is; calling it an X400 frame is just a fancy way of saying it's cobbled together. I should've figured there'd be problems with that; well, now they've turned up." He nodded at the machine, a hybrid of GINN and G-weapon. "Structurally, it ain't entirely sound anymore. That hit you took the other day, not to mention the beating you got in orbit, they weakened the connections. I give it three, _maybe_ four more battles before the whole thing gets so bad that even if you _can_ fly it, you won't want to. Odds are, it'll just quit on you right in the middle of a fight, and you'll be in deep trouble."

Kevin winced. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. So now what?"

Murdoch jerked a thumb at the third Skygrasper. "We got three of those things from the Eighth Fleet; that one you flew to Banadiya, for whatever reason, looks to have been outfitted for somebody with your, ah, strength and durability."

"Has it, now." The super-soldier stroked his chin. "Sounds like the good Admiral had a pretty good idea that I'd be back. Well, it'll do if something happens to the Punisher."

"Frankly, Ensign, you're better off if you don't even _try_ to fly that monster again; my estimates could be way off, especially if you use that hyper-impulse gun too much. The back-blast is pretty fierce. You want my advice, play it safe and stick with your Skygrasper."

Kevin shook his head. "No, Chief, I can't do that. Risky though it may be, we need as much firepower out there as we can get, especially since I hear we're going to be making a break for it soon. And the Punisher just has more power and more guns than a Skygrasper."

Murdoch sighed, resigned. "Yeah, I figured you'd say that. Your funeral." He wandered off, muttering something about fools and mobile suits.

* * *

The Desert Dawn base got very busy over the next four days, as final preparations were made for the breakthrough to the Talbadiya factory district. The black-market weapons that had been obtained while Kira, Kevin, and Cagalli had been meeting with Waltfeld were distributed, and the _Archangel_'s pilots prepared their machines for the coming assault. 

At last the day arrived; Kevin stood in his flight suit in the hanger, giving his Punisher one last once-over. As Murdoch had warned, the jury-rigged monstrosity wasn't going to last much longer, but it would serve for this battle.

"Hey, Kevin," Cagalli said, walking in. "I see you're about ready, too." She raised an eyebrow, curious. "By the way, what's with the stripes?"

He glanced up. "Oh, these? The crew's little joke on me. I guess they were a little over-impressed with having the Crimson Tiger with them, and I sense La Flaga's sense of humor in the color scheme."

She blinked. "_You're_ the Crimson Tiger?"

Kevin shrugged. "One alias among many," he said, waving a dismissing hand. "That's why Blue Cosmos hates me so much; I've killed a great many of their people over the last couple years." He sighed, weary. "And now I go to war again."

Cagalli touched his arm, concerned. "This is difficult for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He absently stroked his scar. "Blast it, Cagalli, I don't want to fight him. Andrew Waltfeld was my friend and mentor; now I have to try and kill him. War's not supposed to be like that; good versus evil, friend against enemy, not friend against friend." He turned away. "I've killed far more people than I'd care to remember, be they Blue Cosmos, ZAFT, or even rogue Earth Alliance, but never, _never_, have I been forced to fight a friend. Before, I've always chosen my targets. Only I made the decision about whom I would kill next. Now, this never-to-be-sufficiently-accursed war is making those choices for me, and if I want to live, I've got to do it."

"And here I thought you were the pragmatic one," she said dryly, "the one who didn't flinch from what he had to do."

"I'm not flinching from it," Kevin said, almost angrily. "I'll do what I bloody well have to do, but believe me, I hope I'm not the one who has to do the deed. I don't want the Desert Tiger's death on my conscience. But yeah, if it falls to me I'll blow him into eternity myself." He visibly forced himself to relax. "I know what he's done to this region, Cagalli, and I know one of his pilots killed Ahmed. It's just... Even I have _some_ humanity left."

"I know." Cagalli looked up at the Punisher, sensing a change of subject might be in order. "So what _is_ this thing, anyway? I know it's not one of the weapons Morgenroete was building on Heliopolis, despite the Striker pack, but it doesn't look like anything else, either."

"That, tovarisch, started life as a mass-produced GINN," Kevin said, relaxing. "The pilot, regrettably, suddenly came down with a serious case of dead, so I appropriated things he no longer needed. When we reached the Eighth Fleet, and I was preparing to leave, Murdoch and his merry band of mad mechanics had a field day with this thing, incorporating spare parts meant for the Strike until it became the X401 Punisher. You've seen the rifle and sabers; it's also got a hyper-impulse cannon in the left shoulder. It's a thoroughly nasty machine, but since it's cobbled together, it's not as structurally sound as a purpose-built mobile suit."

Their conversation was interrupted by an alarm sounding through the hanger. "Sounds like we're about to get moving," Cagalli noted. "I'll see you in Talbadiya, Kevin."

"Cagalli," he called after her, causing her to pause a moment. "In case I don't make it back from this one, I... I just wanted you to know how much our friendship meant to me." He hopped into the Punisher, closing the hatch before she could reply.

She stood there a moment longer, confused by her own emotions. "You'll make it, Kevin. Nobody can kill you," she murmured.

* * *

In the cafeteria, Kira sat silently, poking at his food. "What's wrong? Hurry up and eat." La Flaga slid another item onto his plate. "Here, take this, too." 

Kira blinked. "Uh, Commander? Haven't you had enough to eat?"

"We've got a battle ahead of us, remember? If we don't eat, we won't have any strength." La Flaga held up a bottle. "Here, it tastes great with yogurt sauce." At the younger pilot's unexpected, almost stricken, reaction, he looked concerned. "Something wrong?"

"It's just... The Tiger said the same thing: It tastes great with yogurt sauce."

"You don't say," La Flaga said. "That man knows his food." He turned serious. "It's a lot easier when you don't know your enemy personally; just forget him."

"Huh?"

"When you're fighting for your life against someone you know personally," he explained, "it's a lot harder to do it."

Kira winced, remembering Athrun Zala. But before he could say anything, an explosion was heard. "What the? Are we under attack?" someone said.

"Has the battle started?"

On the Bridge, Jackie Tonomura looked toward Ramius. "Explosions have been detected near the mine field!"

"Enemies detected," Sai reported. "Unable to confirm numbers. I'm also picking up two vessels, probably a carrier and an escort ship."

"Roger," Ramius acknowledged tensely. "Ready intercept. Prepare for anti-air and mobile suit attack."

"Activate Igelstellungs," Badgiruel ordered. "Launch the Skygrasper and mobile suits!"

* * *

Kevin received the launch order without visible emotion. "Affirmative. Punisher, ready for launch." 

Kira was also preparing his mobile suit. _"Activate APU,"_ Mir said. _"Connected to catapult. Aile Striker, stand by."_

_"You sure you're okay with just the Aile?"_ Murdoch asked.

"Yes," Kira responded firmly. "Against BuCUEs, I need more mobility."

"Roger that."

"Aile Strike, prepared for takeoff. Ready when you are."

He tensed himself. "Kira Yamato, taking off!"

The Strike hurtled into the air, and came face-to-face with its first target before it even had its phase-shift up. Raising his shield to block the helicopter's bullets, Kira immediately lowered it and struck the chopper with his Igelstellungs, blowing it into tiny pieces.

"Kira, take the BuCUEs," Kevin said over the radio. "These choppers are mine."

"Roger that." Kira switched frequencies. "How many BuCUEs are we dealing with?" he asked La Flaga. "Mu? Four or five?"

"Come on, baby, hold together," Kevin prayed, jockeying his bizarre machine toward the doomed helicopters. "I know you're gonna blow up on me soon, but not today, okay? First we gotta blow these bastards into next week." He wasn't even bothering with his beam rifle as he engaged these foes; once he had been a fencer, and he used his old skills to lethal effect against the poorly-armored targets. "Take that." he muttered, cleaving one in half.

The GINN-turned-Punisher may not have been the toughest or most agile mobile suit, but in Blade Walker's hands, it was absolutely lethal; he completely ignored a storm of gunfire as he homed in on his next target, trusting the PSA to protect him, and stabbed through the cockpit, wrenched the blade out, and went hunting for more.

The battle was joined; the resistance fighters in one artillery truck, about to be smashed by a BuCUE, looked extremely relieved when the Strike dropped out of nowhere, landing on the enemy, blasted it, and jumped away from the resulting explosion. "Who's next?"

Meanwhile, Kevin had run out of helicopters; now he turned his attention to the _Petrie_, the _Lesseps_' escort ship. "You want to shoot at my friends, huh? Then I'll shoot at you, too." He threw one of his beam sabers into the ship's core, shifted his remaining blade to his left hand, and used his now-free right hand to open up with his beam rifle.

"That you again, Walker? This time I'll kill you for sure!"

The Punisher whirled to face the sudden threat from the _Lesseps_. "The Buster? Not good." Kevin touched down, ran a few steps, and lifted off again on a new course. "Dearka, I don't have time to play with you. Surrender, or I'll blow you to your constituent atoms."

"Seems to be your favorite threat, Walker," Dearka sneered. "Starting to sound like a broken record."

"Elsman, I'll wager you have no idea what a record _is_, let alone what a broken one sounds like."

Kira, with his powerful Strike, was engaging the other BuCUEs; whipping his mobile suit through the air, he cleaved an enemy in half, head to tail, and hit the sand, searching for more targets.

The next came straight at him, firing its back-mounted rail gun; Kira swiftly swung the Strike's arm and hurled his beam saber into the BuCUE's eye, then shot it, destroying it.

The final four-legged suit stood even less of a chance: Kira took to the air, boosting directly at it... where his foot connected with the head, knocking it clean off. Pulling away, a shot to the back finished it off.

He landed finally, breathing heavily as memories drifted through his mind. _"So how do you determine the winners and the losers? At what point do you put an end to it? When every single one of your enemies has been destroyed?"_

"You'll pay!"

Kira shook his head violently, trying to clear it.

Kevin was still engaged in battle with both the Buster and the Duel, both standing atop the _Lesseps_. He was, unfortunately, hampered in his efforts by the maneuvers required to dodge the carrier's guns; they were large enough to pose a threat even to a phase-shift-equipped mobile suit, particularly one as hodgepodge as his.

"Is that the best you got, Walker?" Dearka taunted him, firing both guns at once.

Kevin took them on his shield. "You know, Elsman, if you weren't such a coward, you'd come out here and face me without the support of those big guns," he replied, attempting psychological warfare.

"Nice one, Walker, but I'm not that stupid."

"Pity. That means doing this the hard way." With that ominous statement, he flipped open the cover of his hyper-impulse cannon. "Are you ready to die?"

"Are _you_?" Before Kevin could fire the devastating weapon, the Buster landed a hit on his chest plate, knocking him off course; the beam went wide, scorching nothing but sand. "You were always good on the ground, Walker, but in mobile suits, I'll always be better."

"We'll see."

The Buster abruptly had its own problems, as La Flaga swooped past, firing his hyper-impulse cannon. "Hey, Snake! You okay in there?"

"A little toasty, but I'm okay, Commander," the younger pilot answered with a slight grin; he wasn't sure who had first called him "Snake" (though he suspected it was Cagalli, after having heard him called Hydra), but it seemed to have stuck. (It was also possible that it had been La Flaga's doing, recalling his reference to "snake eaters" weeks earlier.)

"Keep it up, Ensign." La Flaga flashed him a thumbs-up, then flew off toward the main battle.

"Through chatting, Walker?" Dearka sneered.

"Shut up." Snake stabilized his mobile suit and headed off, back toward the _Petrie_. "Sorry, Elsman, but I'm about to be busy killing your escort. You want me, come and get me."

He checked his movement a moment later. _"Snake, there's another ship coming up from behind!"_ Mir called. _"Can you assist?"_

"On it, Mir." Kevin kicked his verniers up to maximum thrust, idly wishing he hadn't thrown his second beam saber. "Well, you can't have everything, eh, Snake?" he told himself. "Besides, you had a whole lot less than this in Beijing, and you made it okay there." Of course, in Beijing, he hadn't been facing mobile suits and ZAFT land-battleships.

Kira also took note of the incoming ambush, and moved to intercept. But a series of beam hits around him gave him pause. "What the-"

"Hey there, you little hotshot," Andrew Waltfeld murmured. "You gotta fight me, first." His two-seat TMF/A-803 LaGOWE command mobile suit stood at the ready, beam cannon ready and head-mounted beam saber live.

The one called Snake also saw Kira's predicament, but he believed him to be capable of handling it on his own; besides, he'd just taken another hit. "_Archangel,_ this is Snake. I've got to land for repairs. Is my Skygrasper ready?"

_"You got it, kid,"_ Murdoch responded._ "Hurry it up; we're stuck and we need all the help we can get."_

"Roger that. Punisher is inbound."

* * *

As usual, Kevin didn't bother with the mechanical systems designed to aid a pilot in descending within a gravity well; he just dropped and raced across the hanger to his fighter. 

To his surprise, Cagalli entered a moment later, leaping into Skygrasper 2. "Hey, you there!" Murdoch shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We can't afford to leave aircraft in the hanger," she said sharply, closing the canopy. "I'm taking it!"

"Oh no you're not!" The mechanic stepped back as the jet exhaust blazed at him.

"Move it! You'll get fried!" She took firm hold of the stick. "Open the hatch!"

"What is it with kids these days?" Murdoch complained. "Open the hatch!" As the fighter shot away, he called after her, "Don't blame me if you get shot down!"

"She'll be okay, Chief," Kevin told him, lifting his own plane. "Try and get the Punisher back to something resembling flight status, will ya?"

"Yeah, yeah," he grunted. "Waste of time, but if you're that intent on getting yourself killed..."

"Always the optimist, eh, Chief?" The pilot nursed the throttle forward. "Snake, launching."

On the Bridge, Mir glanced at her displays in surprise. "Skygraspers 2 and 3 have just launched!"

Badgiruel turned. "What?"

_"Hey! Who's piloting Skygrasper 2?"_ La Flaga demanded; he knew who was flying the third.

"Crew reports that Cagalli is the pilot!"

"What did you say?"

* * *

"Cagalli, this is Snake," Kevin called. "Need some help?" 

Cagalli glanced out her canopy, seeing the third Skygrasper clinging to her starboard wing in a superb display of formation flying. "Kevin? What are you doing up here?"

"Punisher took some bad hits; I'm your wing, okay? You shoot 'em, I keep 'em off both our tails. Sound fair?" The grin was clearly audible in his voice.

"Just try and keep up!" she answered cheerfully, diving in on the _Henry Carter_.

"If you can out-fly me, tovarisch, it's time I hung up my helmet." Kevin armed his missiles, noting La Flaga approaching from the other side. "Snake, Fox One!"

Cagalli fired her beam turret at the same moment, with La Flaga adding a hyper-impulse shot as the trio of fighters blew past each other. The barrage caused the escort ship a good amount of damage, blowing entire chunks of armor off.

"Yahoo!" La Flaga shouted. "Attagirl!" He yanked the stick, coming around for another pass. "Let's get 'em!"

"No argument from me, Commander," the Snake responded. "I've just about had enough of these guys. Besides," he added, swinging his turret to bear, "I hate deserts!"

Cagalli came around again, activating the Sword Striker's ship-killing blade, and launched the claw; it latched onto the enemy ship, and she used it to shorten her turning arc, allowing the blade to slice cleanly through two turrets, blowing them to pieces. "Take that!"

The _Henry Carter_, unfortunately, was not helpless; it fired a spread of missiles at her fighter. Most missed, and two were taken out by Snake's precision fire, but one got through, hitting her starboard wing.

"I'm going down!"

Kevin cursed. "Hang on." He couldn't do anything about her crash, but he could do something about the ship that had caused it. "Commander La Flaga, I'm sending targeting information; could you put a hyper-impulse shot right there? Combined fire should break through the armor and hit the ship's power generator. With that kind of energy density..."

"Copy that, Snake. Beginning my run. You ready?" Skygrasper 1 swung around, cannon powering up.

"Affirmative. Right... about... now!"

A pair of missiles, a beam shot, and machine gun fire erupted from Snake's plane, while La Flaga simultaneously fired his hyper-impulse cannon. The entire barrage hit on the same spot, piercing the ship's heavy armor.

La Flaga frowned. "You sure about this, Snake? I don't see anything."

"Trust me, Commander."

An instant later, the _Henry Carter_ exploded spectacularly, vanishing in a giant ball of fire. When the bright light faded, there was nothing left but scraps.

"Nice one, kid," La Flaga said approvingly. "How'd you know about that?"

Kevin pulled around, breathing heavily. "Andy was a teacher of mine, remember? That was before the war, so I had the opportunity to study these ships in great detail. Remember, those things use big energy batteries, too; and you've seen what happens when a mobile suit blows. With that kind of energy density, a direct hit like that will make them die very quickly, very explosively." He tipped his fighter on a wingtip. "If you'll excuse me a minute, sir, I'd better check on our fallen raven, down there."

"Right."

Kevin's Skygrasper came in for a neat landing next to where Cagalli had managed a relatively controlled crash of her own. "You okay, tovarisch?" he said, hopping out.

"I'm fine." She looked ruefully at her plane. "_It's_ not, but I got down in one piece."

"That's good." He stood at her side, looking over the battle. "I guess that's it for us; this battle's all but won, even with the _Archangel_ still stuck and Kira engaged with Waltfeld."

"You're not going to help him?" Cagalli raised an eyebrow, speculating; she knew what he was going through.

Kevin shook his head. "No; this is between Kira and Andy. I don't quite understand it, but it appears that my old mentor is exactly what he called you: he's one of those who would rather perish. Either he wins, or he dies, and I'm not certain he cares which." He gazed sadly at the duel between two Coordinators. "No, this isn't my battle."

In the thick of the battle, Dearka Elsman snarled and raised his weapon. "I'm gonna finish you off!" He fired, sending a shotgun-like blast at the _Archangel_... and missing completely.

Instead, he destroyed the obstacles that had been holding the ship in place. "We're loose!" Neumann said on the Bridge.

"Turn sixty degrees! Starboard!" Ramius ordered.

"Gottfrieds lock onto target!" Badgiruel barked.

Waltfeld was momentarily distracted as the huge ship lifted. "That legged ship... It's almost indestructible!"

"Gottfrieds, fire!"

The Buster barely lifted off the _Lesseps_ in time, dodging the huge beams that instead struck a turret and a TFA-2 ZuOOT. "Didn't expect that," he muttered, landing in the sand. "Not from the famed Desert Tiger!" He grunted as his mobile suit abruptly slid, losing its footing. "This could be a problem! Oh, man."

Meanwhile, Waltfeld and the Strike were momentarily apart, a lull in the action. "DaCosta," he called.

"Yes, sir?"

"Send out orders to retreat."

"But, sir-"

"We have to cut our losses," Waltfeld said patiently. "Regroup the remaining forces and retreat to Banadiya, then notify Gibraltar."

"Sir-"

"You, too, Aisha," he said to his gunner. "Get out of here."

Aisha shook her head. "I'd sooner lay down my life. Not a chance."

Waltfeld smiled. "So we're both idiots."

"I'm fine with that."

"Okay. Then let's get him!" The LaGOWE leaped back at the Strike.

Kira blocked it. "Don't do it!"

"I ain't done with you yet, kid!"

The Strike flew backwards. "You've already lost the fight! Surrender!" He held his saber ready; his rifle had been destroyed earlier in the fight.

"Like I said, there are no clear rules for ending a war like this!" The following attack sliced off one of the Strike's wings, while Kira's counterstrike sliced off the LaGOWE's beam cannon.

Kira looked down at his display and watched in horror as his energy ran out. "Don't do it, Waltfeld!"

"There's no other way; I'm not giving up... until one of us is destroyed!" Waltfeld leapt for him again...

And Kira's eyes changed, entering the berserker state. He dropped the powerless saber, ejected the Striker pack, and tossed away the shield; his right hand darted to his hip and snatched out an Armor Schneider. He ran forward, jumping to meet the LaGOWE...

And drove the knife deep into the mobile suit's armor, just behind the neck. "Andy!" Aisha called out, releasing her restraints. The pair embraced, and the LaGOWE detonated.

The concussion blew the Strike backwards, landing hard on the sand. "I... I..." Kira stuttered, breathing raggedly, emotions in turmoil. _"It didn't have to end like this!"_

* * *

Author's note: The Blue Cosmos double-agent CARDINAL has been deep-sixed, and Kevin Walker has had a run-in with one of his former comrades… his own "brother". Makes one wonder how much _else_ survives from Project ABADDON. 

Now, with the apparent death of Andrew Waltfeld, _Archangel_ is free to leave the desert. How will the calm seas of the Red Sea affect them all?

Bigronnie17, this story does indeed go all the way to Phase 50; and unlike the series, I intend to have a proper epilogue. The end of SEED left me just a little dissatisfied.

Your story concept sounds interesting, by the way; I shall keep an eye out for it.

Shinji Ikari, there is a kind of explanation about his survival; or more precisely speculation, related to Kevin's belief in Fate. A little peculiar, but the series got a little strange in places, too; witness Flay's death, in Phase 50. I _still_ haven't made sense out of that.

I agree that it probably wouldn't have worked out in the end between Flay and Kira anyway; Kira isn't quite bloodthirsty enough, for one thing.

As for Kevin being afraid of her, he obviously isn't _physically_ afraid of her; the danger she represents comes from her Blue Cosmos sympathies. She could make life very difficult for the so-called "Crimson Tiger".

I hadn't really thought to change Kira's emotional state regarding Flay. It ties in with everything else, so to change that could be very awkward. As to her living arrangements, that _is_ the impression I got from the series; Phase 23, for example, and in particular Phase 28, when she walks right into Kira's quarters, even though she doesn't know he's there. And, of course, when Kira returns in Phase 36, he finds lipstick on the deck; that all indicates to me that they were sharing quarters.

The interaction between Kira and Kevin _is_ an important aspect of the story; it just doesn't play much of a role at the moment because of Flay. Starting around the time of Phase 31, it plays a much larger role; you'll see what I mean.

I'm glad that you enjoyed the Blue Cosmos attack sequence; I completely rewrote it just a few days ago, when I had a few ideas about how to make it even better. In the original version, Kevin simply annihilated the whole batch, except for the one at the end; that part I liked and kept.

As for Waltfeld concentrating on Kira rather than Racher, my reasoning was that Racher is a unknown factor; Kira, not having been trained by the Desert Tiger, is a far more unpredictable variable. And, of course, there's still time for interaction between the two, given the events of Phase 42.

The Kevin/ Cagalli interaction was something I'd been looking forward to from the very beginning (though in the original version of events, they barely knew each other; how times change). It plays a _very_ large role throughout the remainder of the story; just wait until you see Chapter 16, when Cagalli meets Athrun for the first time. I'll just say this: never, _ever_ threaten Cagalli when Kevin is nearby.

The Blue Cosmos' Project ABADDON connection will be further delved into later in the story; suffice it to say that Kevin does not yet remember _everything _about his past.

Rau Le Creuset will, in fact, have _two_ face-to-face encounters with Kevin Walker; I trust you will find them… interesting.

I agree, as it happens, with the idea that Zala went over the deep end because of his wife's death; but, as you may have noticed, Kevin Walker doesn't much care about reasons. He has his own reasons for hating Patrick Zala, and you can see what happens when he wants someone dead.

I have, by the way, noticed the problem of relying too much on the dialogue from the series; it's a habit I've been trying to break myself of ever since I started writing fan fiction. It gets better, believe me… particularly since later changes _force_ me to use my own dialogue. You'll see what I mean.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I appear not to have myself as clear as I thought (I suppose I tend to assume that because _I_ know what I mean, so do others). Anyway, "Grimaldi Falcon" isn't his name; it's an alias, rather like Mu "Hawk of Endymion" La Flaga. According to the official website, La Flaga got his name from the Battle of Endymion Crater, where a Cyclops System was used for the first time. Endymion was the final battle of the Grimaldi Front, so named because of the fighting at Grimaldi Crater; so "Grimaldi Falcon" comes from the pilot's exploits on the Grimaldi Front. I was merely using his alias, rather than his name, to be cagey, but since it occurs to me that his identity will be obvious within a couple of paragraphs, I might as well use the name: Ken DiFalco. His name is where the "Falcon" part comes in (well, that plus his tactics and battle cry, which will be described in the story itself) and that's what he's usually called.

And yes, his sister is another OC; Sophia DiFalco joined the Earth Forces without mentioning it to her family, and is an Academy classmate and close friend of Murrue Ramius. Obviously, given their very different loyalties, Falcon wouldn't be on the best terms with his sister.

I believe that completes these, the very longest author's notes I have ever written. Read and let me know if it's good, bad, or ugly. -Solid Shark


	15. Chapter 15: A Calm Upon the Waves

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

It was morning in the desert. All seemed quiet; and so it was, for the great ship passing overhead flew nearly silently on its levitators. 

"We're heading out, Captain," Ensign Arnold Neumann reported to his captain on the _Archangel_'s Bridge. "Approaching the Red Sea."

The other occupants of the Bridge turned to watch as the water filled the screens. "We made it," Kevin "Snake" Walker murmured. It was technically somewhat unusual for a pilot, particularly one of such low rank, to be on the Bridge, but Kevin had proven himself to be far more than a mere pilot. The crew, one and all, had accepted him, and it was they that had given him the name Snake, in honor of his blinding reflexes and commando past.

It do not bother them that that was about _all_ they knew about his past; he had proven himself many times over. Virtually everyone on the ship suspected that Snake was the one who had killed Gerard Garcia, thus aiding their escape from Artemis, and none could doubt his contributions during the various battles along the way, be they in zero-gravity or the Libyan desert.

Despite his reluctance to speak of his past, the officers, and a couple of others, had begun to suspect Snake's true origins; Captain Murrue Ramius and Lieutenant Commander La Flaga, for example, knew that he was cybernetically augmented, though they didn't yet know the full extant of it. His friend Kira Yamato had seen glimmerings, as well, when they met with the ZAFT Commander Andrew Waltfeld. The young warrior had there displayed a cultured facade, acting completely at ease with his elegant surroundings and formal clothing; more interestingly, his speech patterns had changed, including a subtle shift in his accent, which indicated an aristocratic past.

Though Snake's acting skills were clearly second-to-none, a legacy of his time as a fugitive, Kira had come to suspect that the Walker he'd known for ten years, the one most had called Blade, was himself but a false persona, that the true Kevin Walker was the cultured aristocrat. Yet it was impossible to be sure, for he'd never shown that side since.

Only the girl most of them knew as Cagalli Yula knew the truth, and she was no more willing to reveal it than he, for Kevin Walker, the original Kevin Walker, was officially dead and wanted to stay that way. Only two people had ever discovered the truth on their own, and they were now dead. Snake's secrets remained secure... for now. He knew, though, that if the ship ever came into port in Orb, he would be able to hide his past no longer, nor hide _from_ it.

These mysteries meant little to his shipmates, of course. What mattered to them was his sheer ability, and this had proven invaluable. Once thought to be a simple college student, Snake had demonstrated superb accuracy with firearms of all kinds, blinding reflexes, a talent for knives some of the more superstitious mechanics claimed resulted from a pact with the devil, deadly unarmed combat skills, competent mobile suit piloting that sometimes ventured into the unbelievable, and phenomenal fighter-piloting.

He was more than a warrior, as well; he'd displayed a shrewd knowledge of tactics and great understanding of strategy. Snake was nearly the equal of his mentor, the Desert Tiger, who had also imparted to him the psychology of war, the human factor.

All these, as well as the fact that those same mechanics, under Chief Petty Officer Kojiro Murdoch's direction, were unconvinced that it was possible to kill him, made him a valuable and valued member of the crew. The fact that he and Ramius clearly had some kind of understanding cemented his standing amongst the crew, which led to his being present on the Bridge at this time.

The Snake himself was uneasy with such confidence being placed in him, but it didn't show as he stood by Captain Ramius' chair.

"For a short time, I will allow off-duty personnel to take turns about deck," Ramius announced. "Please relay the message to everyone on board," she told Crewman Kuzzey Buskirk, at Communications.

"That's great," Tolle Koenig, the copilot, said happily to Neumann.

Miriallia Haw and Sai Argyle exchanged happy looks, while Lieutenant (junior grade) Natarle Badgiruel activated the intercom. "Bridge to Chief Murdoch," she said; Sai's face fell, probably due to Kira's presence with Murdoch, or so Snake thought. "Are the sonar preparations on schedule?"

_"We're doing it right now,"_ Murdoch replied._ "The kid's making the final adjustments now; it shouldn't be too much longer."_

"Hurry it up. And Chief," she said, her voice turning uncharacteristically teasing, "I'd be careful about calling a superior officer 'kid' if I were you; that kind of mistake could wind up in your official record. Be careful."

The only reply was a moan.

Standing next to Ramius, the Snake sighed, a release of tension. "You know, Captain, I wasn't sure we'd ever make it this far."

She nodded. "I know what you mean." She glanced at him, head cocked. "By the way, are you on or off-duty? It's getting harder to tell."

He looked slightly surprised, then glanced at himself and noted the black flight jacket he wore over his uniform; it had been a gift from the crew, the night before they left the Desert Dawn camp. He sensed La Flaga's sense of humor in the patch that had been sewn into it where a squadron patch would normally be: a coiled King Cobra, fangs bared and hood flared.

He chuckled. "Good question, Captain. Lieutenant?"

Snake's informal manner and ease of speaking with superior officers was something even Badgiruel, normally a stickler for regulations, had become accustomed to; she put it down to his being a special-forces type. She'd heard they were all a little crazy. "You went off-duty about two minutes ago, Ensign," she said, checking the duty roster. "I suggest you try to keep a little better track of that."

He shrugged with a slight smile. "It hardly matters, Lieutenant; most of the time, my duties consist only of mobile suit maintenance and flying. Since the Punisher was damaged beyond my skills to repair, that's not an issue right now, and neither is flying."

"Point taken, Snake," Ramius noted. "I suppose you'll never be entirely comfortable with the military, will you?" She raised an eyebrow. "You know, I'm still not quite sure what you're still doing here. As I recall, you were quite determined to leave the ship once we reached Earth; then you turn up in the cockpit again, just when we need pilots most."

Snake was silent for a long moment. "Part of it, Captain," he said finally, "maybe even most of it, was a conversation I had with Admiral Halberton before he died."

She flinched slightly at the name; she greatly respected and admired the Admiral, and his death had hit her hard. "I wasn't aware you'd spoken with him at such lengths."

"I did. He told me... that there was more to life than vengeance. Even my life." He stared out at the sea. "Believe it or not, Captain, I hadn't really thought about that before; for a long time staying alive and avenging myself upon those who had hurt me was my only purpose. I fought to live and I lived to fight; an endless, pointless cycle, one which would eventually have led me to my death."

Ramius frowned. _He sounds different; even his voice. I've not heard that accent anywhere but the Orb aristocracy. Is this another act, or does he revert to his true persona when he lets down his guard? And if so, who is he _really?

Snake continued, oblivious to his Captain's thoughts. "Admiral Halburton's words resonated with something Kira told me, that life goes on, and I began to think about it for the first time in years. Perhaps life _does_ go on, even for me." He seemed almost to be talking to himself now, the accent stronger than ever. "And when I realized that this ship was going into battle once more, and my friends were still aboard, I made the only choice: to keep fighting. I have no real love for the Earth Forces, and less for some of its member nations, but I like ZAFT even less, and I could not leave this ship to die." He finally looked at her again. "This crew accepted me, Captain, when no others had in a very long time. This is my home now. How could I _not_ defend it?"

She nodded slowly. "I see," she said, though she thought there was more to it.

He took a few steps forward, coming to stand between Tolle and Neumann, staring out at the Sea. "Una salus victus nullam sperare salutem," he murmured, almost inaudibly.

Abruptly, Snake turned and left the Bridge, an odd look on his face. Ramius, too, had an odd look, but because she'd heard his final words and wondered what they meant.

* * *

A couple nights previously, there had been a victory celebration at the Desert Dawn camp; Ramius, La Flaga, and Badgiruel had joined Sahib Ashman in the war room, preparing a toast. Snake had mysteriously appeared as well, coalescing out of the darkness to join them. Though technically underage, exactly which country's rules they were operating under was unclear, and the young man seemed quite familiar with such rituals. 

"To a new desert dawn," Ashman had said, raising his glass.

"To a victorious future," Ramius said, raising her own.

"Yeah," La Flaga said. "I'll drink to that."

"To the fallen," Snake intoned, lifting his glass. "May they rest in peace." He clinked it with the others and downed it, looking completely unaffected by the strong drink.

Badgiruel, on the other hand, starting choking; Ramius merely coughed and smiled. "You realize this is a temporary victory," La Flaga warned the resistance leader. "You may have taken down the Desert Tiger, but you've still got ZAFT to deal with. They'll come after you again."

"Then we will fight them again," Ashman said, lifting an assault rifle. "We will fight until our last man."

"Not too unlikely," Snake said softly. "I know Martin DaCosta, Andy's right-hand man. He's not the Tiger's equal, but he's not bad by any means. Andy didn't pick idiots for protégés."

A young boy ran in then. "Father!" he said. "The Chief wants us to honor our fallen warriors."

They adjourned outside, where the leader of the people from Banadiya said aloud the name of every fighter killed during the struggle. Snake stood among the ranks, with Cagalli, and squeezed her shoulder when Ahmed's name was spoken.

_I'm sorry, tovarisch,_ he thought._ But he is avenged; I don't know if it was Kira's rifle or my blade, but the pilot who killed him is dead. He was only doing his duty, and vengeance doesn't bring back the dead, but this is war, and vengeance _can_ let our memories of them rest easier._

The next morning, he happened to wander by just as Cagalli was finishing speaking with the officers. "I'm going," she said. "I've already decided."

She and Ashman walked away, and La Flaga turned to her bodyguard, Kisaka. "So..." he said wryly. "Who _is_ that girl with the attitude problem?"

Kisaka was silent, but Snake was not. "She's always been like that, Commander."

The Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So why doesn't she talk to _you_ like that?"

Snake smirked. "Maybe when _you've_ known her a decade or so, sir, you'll avoid her sharp tongue, too."

* * *

The Snake stepped out onto the forward port observation deck, atop one of the Gottfrieds, with a certain sense of relief. The starboard was occupied, but the distance was great enough he would be barely seen and not heard at all. It was, just then, the most peaceful place on the ship, or so he judged from Tolle's enthusiastic reaction to the sea air. 

He stripped off his gloves and dropped them to the deck, then tossed his jacket down. Beneath he wore a simple t-shirt, and sighed as he ditched the long sleeves and gloves for the first time in weeks. "At last," he breathed. "Peace and quiet." To a young man as accustomed to battle as Snake, quiet was a highly-sought but seldom-found commodity, and he took it where he found it.

He'd been there for some time when footsteps came up behind him. "I hope I'm not intruding, Ensign," Ramius said conscientiously. "I realize you may want to be alone."

Snake glanced over his shoulder. "Not at all, Captain. It's just too noisy on the other deck; it's the noise I mind, not necessarily the company." He took a deep breath of the refreshing sea air. "And please, I'm off-duty. I don't need to hear my rank all the time; I'll settle for Snake."

"Okay, Snake," she acknowledged, moving to stand beside him at the railing. "I was wondering, by the way, what it was you said on the Bridge earlier. Latin?"

"Hmm?" He was momentarily confused. "Oh, that. Una salus victus nullam sperare salutem." The accent was back. "It means 'The one hope of the doomed is not to hope for safety'; something of a family motto. My grandfather told it to me, years ago."

"Grim," Ramius noted.

"It fits, especially my generation." He gazed out at the water moving below, pensive. "The Grim Reaper has chased me for a long time now, Captain. I have managed through skill and no small amount of luck to stay one step ahead, but Death is always at my heels, and if he cannot catch me, he will catch those to whom I am close. My parents, three years ago; a couple of Russians named Sergei Ivanovich Gregorov and Nikolai Arkadeyevich Tupolev, quite a few others... To be honest, Captain, were it not for the fact that my friends were already in danger, I would not have risked staying here. My friends die, while I remain alive." He unconsciously rubbed a spot on his chest, over his heart. "Though actually, the Grim Reaper has taken a piece or two out of me already."

"I can see that," the Captain said, seeing for the first time the scars covering the young man's arms. "What happened to you?" She felt the beginnings of horror.

Snake ran a hand over the old white marks. "These? It comes from being tortured, Captain, over a period of some weeks. I'm not entirely certain how long it lasted, but I have noticed that I was whipped, electrified, and beaten a good bit. My nose, for example, has been broken at least once, though I have no recollection of it." He sighed. "But that was not what I meant. I've been dead before, Captain, at least twice. First when standing not two meters from a fusion bomb when it detonated, and then from a sniper's bullet to the chest."

Ramius blinked, horrified by the first statement and utterly bemused by the second. "What did you say?"

He laughed humorlessly. "Strange, is it not? As it happens, I was trying to destroy myself with that bomb; I woke up hours later in an escape pod with no memory beyond the searing heat. It took me until just months ago to regain all my memories. The second time, I'd gotten over the self-destructive urge, and then died anyway." He waved a hand. "I don't know exactly what I am, but I'm not a ghost. Perhaps Fate brought me back for some purpose, even after that restaurant in Orb."

She frowned; the accent was definitely back, and she was somehow certain it was not an act. "Snake, I think you've been lying to me."

It was Snake's turn to be surprised. "Excuse me, Captain?"

"You've tried to pass yourself off as a simple student from Orb who ran into hard times," she said, eyes narrowing with growing suspicion, "but you're far more than that, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He did a very good job of looking innocent, Ramius noted, but now that she knew to look...

"You made a couple of mistakes, Snake," she said, growing more certain by the moment. "Most notably, that accent. You did a good job of hiding it most of the time, but you've slipped. And don't try to tell me it's an act, or that it's anything but the voice of an Orb aristocrat, because it won't work. I've heard that accent before, and only when listening to members of Orb's aristocracy."

Snake actually froze for a moment, not even breathing, as if his combat-computer-like mind couldn't make sense of the information it was receiving. Finally he straightened, and the student was gone, replaced by the cultured young man Kira had seen in Banadiya. "I see, Captain," he said, not even bothering to alter his voice. "You are only the third person to discover that, and the other two, both now dead, succeeded through research and memory; it is most impressive that you found it through simple observation."

Ramius nodded, satisfied. "So _this_ is the true Kevin Walker. I've wondered about that since Heliopolis. So who are you really, and what is an Orb noble doing out here?"

He turned back to the sea. "My name was not always Kevin Walker," he admitted. "Suffice it to say that my birth name means little now; the one this crew has given me is far more important to me."

"Interesting," she said, eyebrow raised. "A nobleman who prefers anonymity to recognition and warfare to simply being rich."

"Don't call me a nobleman," Snake snapped angrily. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to escape that life? My parents were both devoted to politics; it consumed their lives, and might have consumed mine, too. That is the only silver lining to my cursed fate, Captain. I may yet be consumed by something, but it will be by _my_ choice!"

Looking into his frozen jade eyes, Ramius saw that this young man had seen far more than anyone his age should have; inside, he was aged far beyond his years, first by his struggle for his own identity, then the hardships he had endured after his parents' deaths, and even his own brief encounter with insanity.

"I see," she said finally. "You've seen a lot, haven't you?" she went on in a softer voice. "Just how old are you really?"

He appeared surprised by the question, then slowly nodded. "It's the eyes, isn't it? I have indeed seen much in my life, Captain, most of it evil. But I truly am no older than I appear; it is simply that Coordinators mature faster, and experience, as I'm sure you know, can age far faster than time." He shrugged. "A few years from now, your question would have merit; I am told that the changes to my genetic structure, and the cybernetics, mean that my aging will start slowing down now. I'll still look sixteen several years from now, and my estimated life span is something on the order of two centuries."

Ramius' eyebrows went up. "So there are some compensations to being what you are."

Snake laughed humorlessly. "Honestly, Captain, I'd rather a shorter life if it meant never having received these dratted 'enhancements'. Do you have any idea what it's like, spending years on the run? Being unable to stay in one place for very long, for fear that Blue Cosmos, or worse, ZAFT will catch up with me? ZAFT did this to me, you know; their cursed 'super-soldier' program. It almost makes me wish I were still in Orb, even living the life of an aristocrat chained to politics. At least then, I'd be free to be close to people, free to tell people who I really am... I can't allow myself to love someone, because they would just be taken from me. People who get close to me get hurt."

"Yet here you are, telling _me_ who you really are," Ramius pointed out.

This time, there was genuine humor in his expression. "Well, Captain, I've spent three years systematically burying all traces of humanity within me, but it seems being with this crew has reawakened things like the idea that the captain of a ship has a right to know what's going on aboard her ship. Duty, honor, all of it."

She smiled. "And that's a _bad_ thing?"

"Not exactly conducive to long-term survival." He chuckled. "That's one thing I learned in my old occupation. In fencing, and in the real world, it is not wise to reveal one's true self."

"Fencing?" Something clicked, and Ramius frowned in speculation. "Wait a minute. You're..."

Snake nodded. "That's right, Captain. _That_ Orb aristocrat. I wasn't joking when I said I was dead; that is one reason I have not returned to Orb. Whoever it was that hired that sniper, he couldn't have done it without _some_ help from within. That tells me that someone in _Orb_ wants me dead, too." He glanced out at the sea, stretching all the way to the horizon. "But I admit I sometimes miss home, and my tournaments. They were... an interesting challenge, and it always fascinated me that something that came so easily to me would attract world-wide attention."

"There are a number of unused areas in this ship," she noted. "I'm sure Chief Murdoch could fashion you fencing equipment."

"Thank you for the offer, Captain, but it isn't wise." Snake smiled ruefully. "I'm afraid that Heliopolis was not the first place I saw the Hawk of Endymion. I never forget a face, Captain, unless, of course," he added with a grin, "I'm under the influence of chemicals. It was... I believe three years, two months, and seventeen days ago. One of my last matches. Commander La Flaga was there, in the audience; I doubt that he actually remembers, else he would have recognized me already, but we met that day, in person. As the only member of the Atlantic Federation's military present, he arranged to be introduced to me. I gather the Commander has some interest in the sport." He shook his head regretfully. "No, Captain, I'd very much enjoy that, but Commander La Flaga would recognize me in an instant if he saw me with a foil or saber in my hand; I had, among other things, a very distinctive style. I'm not quite ready for my past to see the light of day, Ma'am; it's enough that two people aboard this ship know who I am."

"Two?" Ramius queried. "Cagalli, as well? What connection do you two have?"

"We're old friends," he said neutrally. "Sorry, Captain, but that's as far as I'll go. That is _her_ secret, not mine. I frankly doubt she'll be able to keep it forever, but I won't be the one to reveal it."

"I see." It didn't surprise her particularly; talkative though he might have been for the last few minutes, the Snake revealed information only as it became necessary. Clearly he believed it time for her to know who he was, but he didn't want the crew to, and whoever Cagalli really was, it was important to him that _her_ identity remain secret.

Ramius thought for a moment of the rumors that had been floating around the ship about the pair, then all but dismissed them; La Flaga had told her that Kevin himself had said they were merely old friends, that nothing was going on between them. _Impossible to be certain, of course,_ she thought, _but he's probably telling the truth._

The one called Snake was a shrewd observer; he easily deduced her thoughts. "Yes, Captain, I know all about the rumors," he said with a resigned sigh. "Knowing my classmates as I do, I suspect that they originated with Tolle; whether he himself believes them or not, it's the sort of speculation he'd make. But I assure you they have no factual basis; as I said, I can't risk that. It's risky enough for me to be anywhere near her; anything more, and the Grim Reaper would be sure to notice. As I told Commander La Flaga, I believe in Fate; it appears that my fate is to be alone. I don't particularly like it, but I won't bother fighting it. I especially won't risk having anyone that close should I transform again."

Ramius frowned, puzzled; then she recalled that, though it had hardly been mentioned since he came aboard, Kevin Walker was a zoanthrope. "I have wondered, Snake," she began, "why it is you haven't used your latent powers, even under the most dire of circumstances."

"Why?" He snorted. "Why? Because it frightens me very badly. Besides a couple of times when I lost my temper when facing Blue Cosmos, I haven't dared use my powers in two and a half years. The last time I unleashed the beast within, it was... Well, horrific doesn't begin to describe it." Snake actually shuddered, which told Ramius she really, _really_ didn't want to know the specifics. If it horrified this perfect specimen of a soldier, it would be the stuff of fainting, at the very least, for others. "I still have nightmares of it," he went on. "Most of us, most zoanthropes, retain their intellect when in their animal forms, as I once did. But ever since those horrible six months, I've lost control, my instincts taking over. It... gets messy. To say the least."

"I suppose that's a good reason to avoid it," she agreed after a moment.

"And that, Captain," Snake said, "brings us back to the very reason I came out here today. Out here, all there is is the sea. Just peaceful, quiet sea." He fell silent, leaning on the railing.

_Yes,_ the Snake thought,_ even I can find peace. At least for a little while._

* * *

At the same time, Kira was seeking the same thing, with less success. He stepped out onto the aft deck, uniform jacket over his shoulder. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he walked toward the railing and sat on the deck. 

As had been happening far too often of late, his mind wandered to his recent battles, replaying the events. _"I have no idea why they call this thing a Whalestone,"_ Andrew Waltfeld had said. _"Does it look like a whale to you?"_

_"There are no clear rules for ending a war like this. So how do you determine the winners and the losers? At what point do we put an end to it?"_ The Tiger had raised a gun._ "When every single one of your enemies has been destroyed?"_

"There's no other way; I'm not giving up... until one of us is destroyed!"

Kira jerked, glancing around to reaffirm where he was, then bowed his head, arms wrapped tightly around his knees. _But still,_ he thought, _unless I fight and destroy them, everyone will..._

He remembered the day the lead ship of the Eighth Fleet advance force had been destroyed, with Flay's father aboard, and heard again her anguished scream. And worse, her words to him after regaining consciousness. _"You didn't make any serious attempt to fight, did you? It's because _you're_ a Coordinator too!"_

Behind him, the hatch opened again, and Cagalli stepped out. "Hey, Kira!" she called. "I see you came out for a little fresh air, too." She was puzzled when he silently stood, and walked to his side. "Kira," she said softly, studying his face, "have you been crying?"

Kira turned away, moving to leave, and she caught his wrist. "Wait!" Her eyes widened at his expression, and he brushed past.

Cagalli caught up with him with a couple of quick steps, and it was his turn to be surprised as she hugged him. "Hey- Wha- What-?"

"It's all right," she said softly. "It's okay; don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

Kira just stood there for a moment, stiff with shock, then relaxed, some of the tension leaving him for the first time in far too long.

Cagalli held him several more moments, then stepped back, holding his wrists. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, smiling.

"I... uh..." he stammered, reddening slightly.

She realized what she was doing and instantly released him, briefly furious. "Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm not interested in you in that kind of way, all right? I just thought you upset, that's all. Some people!"

Kira watched her stalk toward the bulkhead, perplexed by the girl. She could go from friendly to furious and back again in moments; it occurred to him that if their mutual friendKevin had seen them then, he would probably have been laughing uproariously. At which point, of course, he'd have had to pitch the human reptile over the railing. Cagalli would probably help, too.

Some minutes later, sitting with her back against the bulkhead, Cagalli turned to look at him. "You know, you're a pretty strange guy."

Kira turned, puzzled. "Huh?"

"Just like the other day for example, when you totally freaked out and then slapped me?"

_"What can you hope to protect when your _feelings_ are the only weapons you've got?"_

He winced, remembering it quite well. "Sorry."

"Well, it's not that I'm really mad," she said, tacitly forgiving him. "But I wonder sometimes why on earth you're a Coordinator in the first place!"

Kira blinked. "Wha?"

Cagalli felt slightly abashed. "Oh; that didn't come out right. I mean, why are you fighting for the Earth Forces if you're a Coordinator? Kevin I can understand, but… what holds _you_ to the Earth Forces?"

He walked over, settling a little ways away from her against the wall. "You probably think that's strange; I get that a lot."

Athrun Zala. _"What are you doing with the Earth Forces? Why are you siding with the Naturals? Tell me!"_

Rear Admiral Gerard Garcia. _"But you're already a traitor to your fellow Coordinators, are you not?"_

Andrew Waltfeld. _"I have no idea what your reasons are for deciding to fight against your own people."_

"Whether or not people think you're strange isn't the point," Cagalli said. "We're at war because both Coordinators and Naturals are determined to exterminate each other, no matter what the cost. I mean... don't _you_ have strong feelings about that?"

Kira turned his head, meeting her eyes. "What about you?" he asked quietly; also rhetorically. The answer to _that_ question was fairly obvious.

"My feelings toward someone have nothing to do with their being Coordinator _or_ Natural," she told him; clearly true, given her close friendship with The Most Dangerous Man In History.

He smiled. "Same here."

"But I also think that when somebody attacks you in a war, you have no choice but to fight back."

Kira leaned back. "I know," he said softly.

Cagalli looked at him, concerned, but then his eyes turned to her and he chuckled quietly. "You know," he said after a moment, "there's no difference between Coordinators, and everyone else."

"But you guys can do so much more stuff than we can," she protested, recalling the seemingly superhuman feats she'd seen both Kira and Snake perform. "You're talented in all these different ways, from birth."

"Only if we sharpen our skills by practicing, studying, and training properly," Kira disagreed. "Like Naturals, we're born with potential; we're not gifted just because we're Coordinators."

She smiled. "Well then, I guess you are the same."

"It is true that... we don't catch deadly diseases, and that we had our genes altered before we were born, to enhance our physical and mental abilities," he conceded. "But I thought everyone aspired to that, even Naturals. And that's why we exist."

Cagalli nodded thoughtfully, both of them unaware that Flay had just reached the hatchway. "Yeah, you're right."

Kira looked at her again. "So, why the war?"

Before she could reply, Flay stepped into view; she, too, had doffed her uniform jacket. "There you are, Kira!" she said, voice sounding exaggeratedly cheerful. "I've been looking all over for you! Why didn't you tell me you'd come out here?"

Cagalli frowned as the younger girl nattered on, and the expression quickly turned to a glare. _And who do you think _you_ are?_

She finally stood and walked to the hatch. "Excuse me," she muttered. "I wouldn't want to get in your way or anything."

Stepping back into the ship's labyrinthine corridors, Cagalli thought she'd go find Snake; at least _he_ was sure to be alone. Kevin Walker wasn't exactly known for his socializing.

* * *

The Snake had returned to his quarters by the time Cagalli caught up with him; he opened the hatch at the first knock. "Hi, Cagalli," he said, waving her in. "What's up?" 

"I kind of needed someone to talk to," she admitted, dropping into the second bunk; this wasn't her first time visiting his quarters since coming aboard. "I was just talking to Kira, but..."

"Had a run-in with Flay, huh?" Kevin said with a knowing look.

She blinked. "How'd you know?"

He smiled, settling into his own bunk. "The Captain doesn't know -or at least I _hope_ she doesn't know- but I've got access to the ship's surveillance systems, and I've made it a practice of late to keep an eye on Flay's movements to a certain extent. So what'd she do, turn up and monopolize Kira's attention?"

"Pretty much," Cagalli confirmed. "I guess she's jealous."

Snake didn't bother asking her if Flay had _reason_ to be jealous; if there was anything going on between his friends, it wasn't his business. Flay, on the other hand... "She's not jealous, Cagalli; in fact, I don't think she's really that interested in Kira at all." When she looked surprised, he went on, smile vanishing. "What? You didn't know? Tovarisch, I've known Flay Allster for about a year now, and I'll be the first to say she's usually a nice enough girl. Back in Heliopolis, in fact, I was quite fond of her. But after her father died in orbit, she... changed; she blamed Coordinators in general, and Kira and I in particular. Hit me pretty hard, being called unnatural, among other things." He stared pensively at nothing. "Then, a couple days before we reached orbit, Flay suddenly patched things up with us, acting as supportive, more supportive, even, than anyone else on the ship. After we hit dirt, it didn't take long to notice she was keeping company with Kira, and so I started checking around." Kevin shook his head. "No, Cagalli, she's manipulating him, using him to avenge her father. She wasn't jealous; she was worried you'd weaken her control over him. Frankly, I hope you can."

Her eyebrows rose; it hadn't occurred to her that this might be the case. "If you're so sure of what's going on, why haven't you told Kira?"

He snorted. "Think it'd do any good? Whatever Flay's feelings may be, Kira's are glaringly obvious: he's smitten. Not really a surprise; even on Heliopolis, he made no secret of his attraction to her. At the time, of course, she was Sai's girlfriend, and, most of us thought, his fiancé; it wasn't until after landing that I found out it was just something they'd talked about. So no, I haven't told him. Nothing short of blowing her away -and don't misunderstand me; I've considered doing exactly that- could affect him at this point, and I suspect it would be counterproductive. Basically, there's nothing I can do about it until the relationship self-destructs, which I think it eventually will; Kira's a bright guy, maybe even smarter than me."

"I don't know..." Cagalli said slowly. "He doesn't seem to be in good shape right now. Something's eating him."

"I know." Snake sighed. "He wasn't always like that, you know; when I knew him, up until we got caught up in this cursed war, he was a real cheerful guy. Maybe a little naive, but sharp as a tack. A cheerful extrovert. But... the battles changed him, especially with Andy. I'm not sure how much more he can take before he goes just as mad as I did, and you can't cure _his_ madness the way you did mine; it'd just kill him." He looked across at her. "I'm doing what I can, but it's not enough. If you can catch him away from Flay again some time, it might not be a bad idea for you to talk to him some more; he seems to relax a little more with you."

She nodded. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Other than that... the best thing for him would be a break from the fighting." He shrugged. "But I don't see that happening till we reach Alaska, given how determined ZAFT seems to be to destroy us. Unless we hit Orb, of course, but they're neutral." Snake winced. "Besides, _I'd_ hardly be able to leave the ship the whole time we were in port; it's not the time to reveal that I still live. It may never be the time."

"So what will you do?" Cagalli asked. "After the war, I mean."

"I don't know," he admitted. "Make no mistake, Cagalli; by training I'm an assassin. Fighting is literally the only marketable skill I have, and I will _not_ become a mercenary. The only time I ever fought for a cause I was not committed to was when ZAFT had me in their clutches as a brainwashed servant."

She frowned, perplexed. "But I thought you said the unit never went active."

"It didn't," he acknowledged. "But I was sent on a couple of solo 'training exercises', in which I executed carefully planned assassinations. Low-profile, so they hardly made the news, but I did kill while under ZAFT's control. It's... not something I like to remember."

"I can see that." Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "By the way, did you ever find out exactly who authorized the project?"

"I did," Snake said grimly. "And if I can ever get anywhere near him, I'm going to assassinate _him_. You don't need to know just now, tovarisch; it would put your life in unnecessary danger." He snorted. "To be sure, my _being_ here puts you in danger, but it's really best if you don't know more about it than you have to."

"If you say so." That made her even more curious, but if the Snake said it was too dangerous, she wasn't going to argue. "I hear you were talking with the Captain for awhile, earlier," she said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I was." He grimaced. "My secret's out, I'm afraid; Captain Ramius knows who I am."

Cagalli blinked. "How?"

"My own bloody fault," Kevin admitted ruefully. "Apparently, I still haven't quite trained the Orb aristocrat accent out, and I still slip into it when I let my guard down." He grunted. "I'm surprised Commander La Flaga hasn't figured it out; he saw at least one of my matches, and though he apparently doesn't remember it, we actually met once, years ago. If he saw me with a foil he'd know in a heartbeat. As it is-"

He broke off as the ship's PA system came to life. _"All hands, Level One Battlestations!"_

Before the echoes had died, both of them were racing out of the room.

* * *

Author's note: The _Archangel_ has departed from the desert, and Kevin Walker's secret is out… mostly. Murrue Ramius knows who he is, and what, but she has not told the crew, and even she does not know the full, gruesome details. Soon, though, the ship will reach Orb; what is in store then? 

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, glad to have cleared that up.

Shinji Ikari, I didn't realize the story doesn't specify exactly what Jackson did to Kevin; I thought it was plainly spoken of at some point, but perhaps that was in one of the original, pre-rewrite chapters. No matter; I know it's in there sometime. From what you've said, that particular slipup may have been a good thing.

I realize there isn't much of an explanation of Kevin's thought-processes regarding where to go next, but there _is_ a method to my madness: You see, when you think about it, there really isn't much question he'd go with the _Archangel_, given who _else_ is accompanying the ship. After all, one of his main missions in life is to protect Cagalli (now that he's remembered her existence, at any rate).

I'm glad you approved of the confrontation between the two Destroyers; and let me say this: _everything_ regarding people like Michael Carnehan and the circumstances surrounding Kevin's birth are _very_ convoluted. Far more so than I originally intended, as it happens (more than once while writing this, I've thought to myself "Will the _real_ Hideo Kojima please step forward". If you've ever played a Metal Gear game, you'll know what I mean). As for Kraken's demise, though, there isn't really anything special about his manner of death. I mean, having your heart annihilated _does_ tend to be lethal, no matter _how_ strong you are.

I hadn't really thought about it before, but you may be right regarding how Yzak wound up as the Duel's pilot; nepotism is a factor in just about political situation. On the other hand, I would think Le Creuset has a _lot_ of clout with the Supreme Council, so one might also expect him not to accept on his team a pilot unless said pilot met his requirements (which, given Yzak's anger-management problem and Dearka's sarcasm, obviously don't include a respectful attitude). Either scenario could be argued, but there's no denying Yzak _does_ have the skill to back up his mouth… usually.

As for Cagalli's crash: first of all, though I may be misremembering -I haven't seen Phase 23 in several months- I didn't see any indication that her crash in Phase 21 had anything to do with her flight performance the next she was in battle. If I'm wrong, I'm willing to accept correction, but I don't remember anything like that. Second, while I must admit I didn't really consider the matter very much, I believe I've established that Kevin has a… calming effect on Cagalli, which could, in my opinion, settle her down after the crash. Besides, it _was_ a relatively controlled-landing, and as I remember it she didn't seem too bad off, afterwards.

Concerning the Kira/ Kevin connection, at this point in the series Kira's pretty wrapped-up in Flay, which, from what I saw, seemed to distance him even from Tolle and Mir, who appeared to me to be fairly close friends of his. And were I to alter that, as I said before, it could be tricky.

When it comes to Le Creuset, Mu, and Kira, I never got the idea that it had anything to do with the SEED Factor; my impression was that Mu and Le Creuset were able to sense each other because Rau is a clone of Mu's father. That _still_ doesn't really explain anything, of course, but that was how t appeared to me. Le Creuset being able to sense _Kira_, on the other hand -thought Kira doesn't seem to be able to sense Rau- leaves me completely confused. I would imagine it has something to do with Hibiki's "Ultimate Coordinator" project, especially since Rau can't seem to sense Athrun, Cagalli, or Lacus, but other than that, it leaves me quite bemused.

Interesting information regarding the DRAGOON system, by the way; I haven't gotten volume 10 yet, so all I have to go by is the website's glossary, which basically says it requires someone with Mu La Flaga's level of spatial awareness to operate. In any case, with your permission I just may use that hypothesis of yours regarding Rau's possible SEED factor; it would certainly explain Kira and Mu's startled reactions to seeing the man unmasked, which his resemblance to Mu's father would _not_; after all, if the idea of Rau being a clone has already been mentioned, surely it wouldn't be _that_ surprising to see the proof.

About Kevin's survival: I hope what little explanation there will be will be satisfactory, but in any case, I maintain that there are simply mysteries that will never be solved by science. This is a fact of nature, whatever the egghead professor types who regard theory as fact and change them every other Tuesday may say. Okay, enough ranting.

I'm glad that you got what I meant about Racher; I didn't even notice the typo until Dragoon Swordsman pointed it out to me; I hope to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Now, about the upcoming confrontation between Kevin and Athrun. While I am considering what you said and intend to revise matters some, there are several points I must make. One: the SEED Factor, according to the website, is not limited solely to Coordinators; Naturals may also possess the Seed. Thus, how "advanced" a Coordinator Athrun is is fairly irrelevant. When the Seed is not active, he is no more advanced than any other Coordinator. Two: Athrun may have some martial arts skills, and he's obviously competent with a pistol, but a ground soldier he is not. He is a pilot, and pilots, by and large, are not trained in true ground combat. He is skilled enough to deal with Cagalli -who, at that point, believes herself to be a Natural and is thus limited by her own mindset- but on a one-for-one basis, one would not expect him to stand up to a Coordinator properly trained in ground combat. Three: the terrain in general doesn't really matter; even ordinary soldiers are trained to deal with just about any terrain they might come across, and special ops types in particular. Four: Under the circumstances, especially given his established calm in battle situations, it is unlikely Kevin would be too worked up; this ties into my next point. Five: since Athrun still has no idea what Kevin actually is -ABADDON is just meaningless gibberish to him- he would be prone to underestimate him (even if Waltfeld fully reported the Banadiya action -which he may not have, seeing as he's perfectly willing to leave his comrades in the dark about the Strike's pilot- Kevin's augmentation was almost completely offline). Conversely, for these very reasons, Kevin probably wouldn't see Athrun as much of a threat, hand-to-hand. After all, it's already established that when his mechanical systems are all in proper working order, Kevin is _very_ fast. Now, I'm not saying that Athrun wouldn't even land a hit, but the fact is he couldn't possibly pose _that_ much of a threat to someone who survived being tossed around by another Destroyer more or less intact.

Now, to your final point. I believe I've already said that Kevin's new machine will be familiar to fans of other Gundam series. There will, certainly, be differences; some intentionally, and some because only saw a few episodes, and that was around five years ago. But I should point out that it's not easy to do something original; just about everything you can think of has been done in some fashion or another in one series or another. The best you can really do is come up with a unique combination of traits, and even that can be tricky.

All right, then. Centurious, see above; your question is addressed in the above text, and I'm not in the mood to repeat myself after taking ninety minutes just to write these blasted notes.

So, I think I'll just sign off here. Read and let me know how it is. -Solid Shark


	16. Chapter 16: War for Three

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Kevin and Cagalli entered the hanger together, at a run; neither knew what was going on, but if the ship was under attack, they were getting airborne. 

Murdoch spotted them immediately. "Wait a minute!" he said to Cagalli as she neared Skygrasper 2. "This one's not ready yet!"

She snapped her fingers in annoyance. "Oh, man!"

Snake ignored the exchange. "What can you give me, Chief?"

The mechanic shook his head. "Punisher ain't ready; tell you the truth, I think you'd be crazy to fly it again anyway, repaired or not."

"Noted," the pilot snapped. "What else?"

Murdoch jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Skygrasper 3's already spotted and preflighted; the Aile Striker's still under repairs and the Commander's using the Launcher, so we gave you the Sword. Not sure how much good it'll do, but..."

"It has its uses; thanks." Kevin glanced back at Cagalli. "I'd let you fly this run and take my chances with Punisher, but Skygrasper 3 is set up for me; I've got a higher G-tolerance than anybody else, so the turns she'll pull would probably kill you. Sorry."

"Be careful out there, Kevin."

"Aren't I always?" he said with a grin, then sprang into his plane. "Okay, Mir," he called, checking the fighter's instruments. "Skygrasper 3, ready for launch."

_"Roger that, Snake,"_ Mir replied from the Bridge._ "You're go for takeoff."_

"Affirmative. Sai, sitrep."

There was a moment of delay as a more senior crew member translated sitrep to "situation report" for the bemused Sai. _"Two atmospheric-flight mobile suits, confirmed as DINNs,"_ he reported after a moment, _"and two submarine units we believe are GOOhNs."_ Another pause. _"And by the way, Snake, it'd make my job easier if you'd speak English."_

"I do, Sai," Snake replied, taxiing into the catapult. "Hardly _my_ fault if you haven't studied military-speak yet. Snake, lifting off," he added, pushing the throttle forward.

La Flaga was already airborne, racing for the incoming DINNs. "Glad you could join me, Snake," the Commander said dryly. "What, did you stop for lunch?"

"No, our fearless ECM guy just doesn't know fighter-talk yet, sir." Kevin settled into wingman position behind the other pilot's plane. "Now how about we take these guys down? I've never fought a DINN with a Skygrasper before, but I can't imagine they're much better than any other mass-produced suit."

"Let's find out."

Behind them, the Strike stood on the starboard catapult deck, with a shield and beam rifle. He was attempting to snipe the UMF-4A GOOhNs, but without much success. _So there _is_ something worse than BuCUEs,_ he thought, missing another shot. _If I never meet another submarine, it'll be too soon._

"ZAFT sure is persistent, eh, Commander?" Snake said, diving in on a DINN. "This is, what, the _third_ distinct team we've fought since leaving Heliopolis?"

"Yeah," La Flaga agreed. "First Le Creuset, then Waltfeld, now this guy. Whoever he is, though, he doesn't seem as bright as the last two."

Kevin thought for a moment, bringing to mind the various ZAFT teams he'd learned off while studying under Waltfeld. "If he's who I think he is," he said after a moment, "he's not. Commander Marco Morassim, a submariner if there ever was one. I heard about him awhile back, and he's apparently not real good. One of those guys every military seems to have, who gets rank through connections, not ability. Compared to Le Creuset or Andy, this guy's no big deal."

"Glad to hear it. Has anybody gotten around to telling _him_ that?" La Flaga sideslipped and fell back a little, allowing the younger pilot to take lead. "First shot's yours, kid. I'll cover you."

"As ordered." Snake punched buttons, opening his missile bay and arming a missile. "Snake, Fox One."

By this time, Kira was convinced shooting submarine suits from the _Archangel_'s catapult was an exercise in futility. "Chief Murdoch!" he called over the radio.

"Yeah, what is it, kid?"

"Didn't we get a bazooka with our supplies from the Eighth Fleet?" He snapped off another fruitless shot.

_"Yeah, we did."_ Murdoch appeared perplexed._ "So what? Why're you asking?"_

"Please get it for me." Kira ducked back into the ship. "I'm goin' underwater."

_"Diving?"_ the mechanic protested._ "But you can't do that, kid, the Strike'll-"_

"I _know_ that!" Kira cut him off. "But we have to do _something_!"

Pulling a turn that would have knocked a normal human unconscious, Snake glanced back at the _Archangel_, wondering where in blazes the Strike had gotten too.

The distraction was nearly fatal; he pulled away just in time to avoid a shotgun blast from a DINN. "Oops. Take this. Fox Two." Inhumanly calm, Kevin launched another missile, only to see it blown out of the sky. "That can't be Morassim, Commander," he commented to his wing leader. "Too good a pilot."

"I'll take him," the Hawk replied. Then, "Wait a sec."

Under attack from too many places at once, the DINN strayed into the fire from one of the _Archangel_'s Igelstellungs and vanished in a bright ball of flame.

"Whoever fired that shot, good work," the Snake radioed. "How's Kira?"

_"He just entered the water,"_ Mir reported.

"Is he crazy? Never mind; just tell him to watch his back. Something about this doesn't smell right."

"Roger that, Snake."

Beneath the waves, Kira was already having problems; his bazooka, while it worked, wasn't very accurate, and the GOOhNs were actually better than the Strike in this environment.

"In a space model?" one of the enemies laughed.

"You'll never beat our GOOhNs underwater!" the other taunted.

Let's find out.

Even as the bazooka and shield were blown from his hands, Kira snatched out his hip-stowed Armor Schneiders. When one of the submariners got too close, he grabbed it and drove the blade deep into its armor; on the surface, this would have been minor damage, but at these depths, the slightest crack in the skin of the mobile suit allowed the water pressure to crush it like an eggshell.

The other was a very different proposition; with a succession of torpedoes, it succeeded in blasting the other knife away. "Oh, no!" Kira boosted away, evading the advancing GOOhN while frantically searching for another means to destroy it with.

"Get back here!" the enemy pilot roared.

A moment later, Kira found what he was looking for: a disembodied DINN arm drifted down to him, still gripping a shotgun. He grabbed the arm, pried the weapon loose, and jetted back toward the GOOhN.

The pilot's eyes widened when the Strike grabbed him and put the shotgun's muzzle just below his suit's optical sensor. "Wha-" He never had a chance to finish the sentence; the second GOOhN rapidly suffered the same fate as the first, crushed by water pressure.

Above the waves, Snake and La Flaga engaged in a lethal aerial ballet with Morassim, trying to blow him out of the sky, but without much success.

Then Morassim made his mistake; detecting the second explosion, he looked down. "What? Hans' GOOhN has been destroyed?"

That was when the hyper-impulse blast blew off his left wing. "Take this!" La Flaga shouted.

"Time to retreat." The remaining DINN took flight, chased by a hail of gunfire, and was soon out of sight.

Beneath the surface, the Strike ascended. _I hate this,_ Kira thought, Waltfeld's face appearing before his mind's eye. _But unless I destroy them, we'll all be..._

* * *

Kevin brought his Skygrasper to a stop in the hanger, shut down, and opened the canopy. Climbing out, he pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through his ragged sandy hair (rumor aboard ship had it that he cut it with his enormous Bowie knife; of course, nobody had the temerity to ask). 

"That wasn't so tough, eh, kid?" Murdoch said, waving for another mechanic to take charge of the aircraft. "We've been in worse scrapes before."

"That's true." Snake unfastened his flight suit's collar. "I'm pretty sure that was Marco Morassim, and he's not exactly known for being brilliant. If he's the worst we've got ahead of us, we'll make it to Alaska, no sweat."

"Then we go back to space and face Le Creuset again, right?" The big mechanic knew the Snake was one of their experts on ZAFT personnel.

"Probably," the pilot conceded. "He's not the worst; I think Andy was actually a better strategist. But he is a shrewd and deadly adversary. Never underestimate the Man with the Mask."

"Survived another one, huh, Kevin?"

Snake turned and smiled as Cagalli approached. "Wasn't exactly the toughest battle in my career, tovarisch. Kira did the hard part. But I'm about due for some rack time; didn't get enough sleep." He headed for the hatch.

"Nightmares?" she said softly, following him out.

He raised a surprised eyebrow. "How'd you know?"

Cagalli chuckled. "You forget I've known you all your life, Kevin; I figured out your door lock the first day out of the desert." She sobered. "Kira said you hadn't been sleeping well ever since you came aboard, so I checked on you last night. Are you okay?"

Kevin sighed. "Not exactly. Your bullet back in Africa knocked some sanity back into me, but I can't control it when I'm asleep. As soon as my conscious mind relinquishes control, I remember... Remember the death and destruction that lies in my past. The worst, the bloodiest, the most horrifying parts of my past come back to me at night, making sleep rather less than restful. I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in over a month," he admitted.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "If there's anything I can do..."

He squeezed it. "You'll be the first to know, I promise. But..." Snake turned away, heading toward his quarters. "How do you face your demons... when you are the demon?" he said softly, and disappeared into the labyrinthine corridors.

* * *

_It was happening again. Snapshots of death and destruction, blood and gore, flashing through his unconscious mind. He relived that horrible night anew, static pictures of violence as the beast within erupted to without._

_His claws disembowel a uniformed lab technician; his teeth ripped a man's head off. A feral roar tore from his throat as he ripped free from his restraints._

_The rampaging man-tiger was suddenly among his fellows; Charlie Evans, codename Talos, smashed to a bloody pulp; Erica Hawke, codename Scylla, impaled on the torture device; Simon Priest, codename Cerberus, torn in half..._

_Then the most horrible moment, as the raging beast approached Rachel Carver, codename Medusa; ignoring her expression of horror and his own puny human mind, screaming at himself to stop, his fangs tore out her throat, killing her almost instantly._

_The scene changed; he was human once more, staring in horror at what he had done, back in his right mind for the first time in six months, free of brainwashing and raging instinct. He stood with the laboratory's self-destruct system, a multi-megaton thermonuclear fusion bomb, at his back, stricken eyes viewing the carnage he himself had caused. Frozen by horror, his mind recalled everything that had been done to him, and he realized he could not remember who he was. But he knew _what_ he was, knew that ZAFT had turned him into a monster._

He knew that he had been turned into a super-soldier by Patrick Zala. He couldn't live with what he had just done, and become; he couldn't allow this to happen to others. He could not allow himself to live.

He turned to the destruct system, set it for immediate detonation, and felt the searing heat...

Kevin jerked awake with a gasp, soaked in sweat, with his metal claws extended. "Not again," he gasped, "not again."

He stood and walked to the viewport, noting it was still night; according to his internal computers, he'd slept only five hours.

"Not again," he repeated, staring out at the water. "It has to _end_. How many more times must I relive that night?" But Snake already knew the answer: he could not rest until those who had made him what he was were dead. Of them all, only one remained.

The man who had authorized Project ABADDON.

Knowing he wouldn't get any more sleep this night, Snake pulled on his off-duty black, slipped his Colt .45 into the shoulder holster, Peacemaker into the thigh holster, and slid the combat knife into its sheath before pulling on a pair of sunglasses.

He left his quarters, stalking the dark corridors with no more noise than a snake, past the closed doors behind which most of the crew still slept peacefully. There would be a skeleton crew on the Bridge, nothing more.

Snake ghosted past Kira's door and paused for a moment. _Kira, you need to snap out of it, before Flay's machinations get you killed._

He silently made his way up to the rear deck, expecting to find it unoccupied at this hour; it was 0300, after all. But to his surprise, Kevin found someone already there.

He squinted into the darkness, adjusting the light-gathering on his bionic eye. "Tolle? What are you doing up here at three in the morning?"

The ship's copilot and Kevin's closest friend besides Kira of those who had joined the ship at Heliopolis turned. "Probably the same as you, Snake. Kinda hard to sleep with all that moaning coming through the walls."

Kevin winced; he'd forgotten the bunk room his classmates shared was right next to his quarters. "Sorry about that. Hope I didn't wake anybody else."

Tolle waved a hand. "Nah, don't worry about it; I'm a light sleeper, that's all. So what's with the creepy noises? Something bothering you?"

Snake pulled off his sunglasses and looked him right in the eye. "Tolle, if I told you, _you_ wouldn't get any sleep, either. It's not something I like to think about -and I don't, when I'm awake- because it's very, very bad. Let's just say that my past is far darker than you know."

The other pilot looked at him strangely, then shrugged. Having the Snake keep secrets was hardly anything new. "If you say so." Tolle turned back to the ocean. "That was a tough one yesterday, wasn't it?"

"Not for me," Kevin replied with a ghost of a smile, "but then _I'm_ not trying to fly a ship the size of an airport while simultaneously being shot at from the water and sky. Believe me, Skygraspers are a lot more maneuverable, and more fun to fly, than this big hulk."

"I guess you're right." His friend grinned. "That's one reason I'm trying out the simulators a lot." Tolle turned sober. "Think they'll attack us again?"

"Probably," Snake said frankly. "We beat them pretty soundly yesterday, but Marco Morassim ain't exactly known for knowing when he's beaten. Not very bright, but he could try overwhelming us."

"Maybe we'll end up in Orb," Tolle said hopefully. "They'd be able to handle these submariners, and I've always wanted to go back." He, like his classmates, was an Orb national; though Kuzzey had never seen the homeland with his own eyes.

"I hope we _don't_ get there, Tolle," Kevin said quietly. "They're neutral, remember? They'd be quite likely to blow us out of the sky if we entered their waters. Besides..." He turned away, heading back belowdecks. "My life could be in grave danger there."

* * *

Days later, Snake wandered into the cafeteria, in search of lunch; super-soldier or not, the lack of sleep was taking its toll on him, so he compensated by eating more and spending hours in martial arts meditation, a state in which his past disturbed him not. 

The others took little notice of him; they were studying a navigation chart. "We could reach Orb without even much of a delay," Tolle was saying.

Kevin walked over. "Still thinking about that, eh? Look, guys, even if the Captain were willing to make the detour, which she isn't, showing up in Orb in an Earth Alliance warship is one of the dumbest things you could do. Their fleet would wipe us out without breaking a sweat."

"How do you know so much about Orb?" Kuzzey said suspiciously; he hadn't forgotten who their comrade had once been.

Snake laughed quietly. "Have we been here so long you've forgotten? I was _born_ in Orb, Kuzzey; I haven't been back in years, but I recall quite clearly how capable their military is." He shook his head, collecting his food. "No, tangling with Orb is a very _bad_ idea. I know you guys want shore leave, but I don't think it's gonna happen."

He glanced toward the hatch, noting Cagalli and her bodyguard, Kisaka, conversing in low tones. _Probably warning her about keeping her identity secret again,_ he mused._ Like it'll matter if we get anywhere near Orb. I wonder how much the good Colonel knows about me?_

"Still... Our parents are in Orb," Mir said. "Doesn't that matter?"

"Not to me," Kevin said, walking through the hatch. "I have no family."

The young warrior smiled to himself as Kira passed and exchanged cheerful greetings with Cagalli. _All these rumors going around about the two of us,_ he thought in amusement, retracing his steps back to his quarters, _and nobody even notices how those two act around each other. I guess my close friendship with her is just more visible; but I'd rather see him with her than with Flay. Besides... she deserves better._

"What's so funny?" Cagalli asked, coming up behind him. "The rumors again?" She'd heard them, too; and while she wasn't very happy about it, she conceded it was better than the blatant assumptions the Orb aristocracy had had about the two of them. They'd both resented that.

"Something like that, tovarisch." For himself, Kevin found the rumor mill to be amusing; the notions he'd heard the mechanics came up with were especially interesting to him, given the superstitious nature of such people. When he'd heard one of Murdoch's people muttering about a "pact with the devil", in reference to his knife skills, he'd found it most hilarious. "So, Kisaka give you another lecture?" he said, changing the subject; he had no intention of telling her what really amused him. She'd probably deny it hotly, then throw him through a wall.

"Yeah," she admitted. "As if I didn't get the idea the _first_ hundred times. Besides, it's not like I can hide it forever; _you_ got found out, and you're the best actor I've ever seen. And sometime I might _have_ to reveal it."

"That's true. A secret is only a secret until it becomes expedient to reveal it." He grimaced. "One reason I don't like politicians."

Further conversation was cut off. _"All hands, Level One Battlestations!"_

Kevin dropped his lunch and broke into a run, racing for the hanger. "You with me?" he called back. "The Chief's got Skygrasper 2 back up and running."

Cagalli followed him. "We can't leave aircraft in the hanger, can we? Of course I'm going with you."

"Now this," he muttered as they ran, "is what a war is really all about: nine tenths boredom, one tenth pure terror." He shook his head. "One of these days, I really ought to retire. Not that's it's gonna happen."

* * *

Snake entered the hanger without slowing down. "What have you got, Chief?" 

Murdoch jerked a thumb at the striped mobile suit behind him. "Punisher's as fit as it's gonna get. I still think you're crazy, but-"

"But I'm gonna do it anyway." Leaving Cagalli to argue with the mechanic over flying Skygrasper 2, he leapt up to Punisher, swarming up it as if it were covered in vines.

_"Bridge to the hanger,"_ Snake heard in his ear as he powered up._ "What's ready to fly?"_

"Snake here, Mir." He strapped in. "Strike, Punisher, and Skygraspers 1 and 2 ready for flight."

"Roger that, Snake. Mobile suits to the starboard launch bay, Skygraspers to port. Launch when ready."

Proceeding into the catapult behind the Strike, Snake flipped his visor down. "Sai, sitrep."

From the Bridge came a resigned sound. _"I guess I should get used to it,"_ Sai muttered. _"Snake, we've got two GOOhNs, a ZnO, and a _Vosgulov_-class submarine carrier. The Strike's going for the ZnO, and the Skygraspers should be able to take the carrier. Assist with the GOOhNs."_

"As ordered." His hands tightened on the controls. "A _Vosgulov_, eh? Must be Morassim's. Which means he's probably piloting that ZnO." He saw the Strike launch ahead of him, carrying the Sword Striker. "Bridge, X401 Punisher launching."

The catapult launch pressed him back into his seat, and then Snake was in full control, flying his bastardized mobile suit into battle for the first time in weeks. Its maneuverability was nothing compared to his Skygrasper, but it was a welcome change nonetheless; its firepower, what with two beam sabers, a beam rifle, anti-mobile suit katana, and a hyper-impulse cannon, was far greater than that of a mere fighter craft.

"Punisher airborne," he reported. "Now engaging." He watched the Strike plunge beneath the waves, searching out his own target, and angled his Punisher toward the other submarine suits. "Position?"

_"Difficult to tell,"_ the sonar operator, Jackie Tonomura, reported._ "They keep diving. Can you go under?"_

Before Kevin could reply, Murdoch broke in. _"Absolutely not! Kid, if you try that, you'll sink like a rock. That ain't just dangerous, that's _suicide

Snake hissed in frustration. "Copy that, Chief. Sorry, _Archangel_, but there's nothing I can do here. The beam rifle won't penetrate the water very well, and I can't dive."

_"Affirmative, Punisher."_ There was a pause as Mir conferred with Badgiruel._ "Snake, new orders. You're to aid Commander La Flaga and Cagalli against the _Vosgulov."

"Roger, wilco. Commander, Punisher is inbound."

"We could use the help, kid," La Flaga told him. "Your girlfriend here is having some trouble."

"Commander," Snake said, pushing the throttle forward, "I don't mean to be insubordinate, but if you say that again I may have to break you in half. I'm getting just a little tired of refuting those bloody rumors, okay?"

"Whatever." The older pilot sounded highly amused; which, of course, made Snake want to rip his throat out. "Just hurry up, will ya?"

"On the way." As he left the _Archangel_'s vicinity, Snake noticed the ship was rolling over, bringing the Gottfrieds to bear on the GOOhNs. "You know, I almost feel sorry for those guys," he muttered.

The Punisher arrived on the scene of the _Vosgulov_ just in time to be utterly useless: the ship exploded under La Flaga's hyper-impulse fire. "Glad you could make it," the Commander said dryly. "You're just in time to make sure no ZAFT shrapnel can attack the ship."

Snake snorted. "What this tells me, sir, is that Punisher was unnecessary for victory, not that I'm always late. Not _my_ fault my orders were changed too late."

"Yeah, yeah. By the way, did the girl get back alright?"

Kevin went cold. "What are you talking about?"

La Flaga frowned. "Her navigation system got hit, so I sent her back to the ship. You didn't see her?"

"No." The super-soldier closed his eyes for a moment. "Sir, I suggest we RTB and regroup. Something's not right here."

"Agreed."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Snake stood on the _Archangel_'s Bridge, face a mask as he stared out the viewport. _Cagalli..._

"Any sign of Cagalli?" Ramius asked behind him.

"No, Ma'am," the radar operator, Romero Pal, replied. "All we can tell for sure is that she's left the combat zone."

"Shall I list her as MIA, Captain?" Badgiruel asked. The Captain glanced at her sharply, Snake turned, eyes frozen.

"What does 'MIA' mean?" Sai asked softly.

"It's a military term that stands for Missing In Action," Tonomura replied, equally subdued. "But what it really means is that we don't think they're coming back."

"I think you're jumping to conclusions, Lieutenant Badgiruel," Ramius said finally. "We don't know for sure that she was shot down yet." She sighed. "We'll send Ensign Yamato back out to look for her."

"But, Captain-"

Ramius turned. "If you object, you can write it in your report!" she barked. The entire Bridge crew jumped at the anger in her voice. "I can't give up on Cagalli," she said in a softer voice. "I just can't."

_Neither can I._ Almost unnoticed, Snake slipped off the Bridge.

"How long until sunset?"

"About an hour, Ma'am," Mir reported after a moment.

"All right." Ramius activated her intercom, connecting with the Strike. "Sorry to send you out again so soon, Ensign. I realize you're tired. I'd send Snake, but he's in no shape for it."

"That's okay, Captain. I'm fine."

She doubted that, but didn't argue. "It'll be dark in about an hour; you have two hours to search. We can't afford to have you too fatigued, so be sure to return after two hours."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mir tapped commands into her console. "Kira, we're ready when you are."

"Strike here. Let's do it!"

* * *

La Flaga was wandering the hanger when a figure in a black flight suit appeared, carrying an equipment bag. "Snake?" He frowned. "What are you doing here?" 

"Not your concern, Commander." Snake strode over to his Skygrasper and tossed the gear bag into the cockpit; his voice was inhumanly calm.

La Flaga grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Just what do you think you're doing? You're in no shape to fly, Ensign."

"Let go of me, Commander. I won't warn you again."

"What are you talking about-" The older pilot broke off as Snake pushed him back into the wall with far more strength than was apparent in his lean frame.

He shivered as the other pilot's right eye suddenly blazed red instead of green, and he realized another of the young man's secrets. Only a bionic eye could possibly be pointing a laser aiming system at him.

"I told you, Commander, get out of my way." Snake leapt into the fighter and closed the canopy. An instant later, it started taxiing toward the catapult.

Still in a state of shock, La Flaga ran to an intercom. "Bridge, this is La Flaga! Snake's taking Skygrasper 3 up! Can you stop him?"

_"We're locking down the hanger,"_ Mir said._ "That should be enough- Wait a minute, the override was just canceled!"_

"What?"

On the Bridge, Mir was hitting every override she could, but they were canceled almost as they started. "Captain, I don't understand. I can't keep it locked down! Something's disabling the overrides!"

_"So that's it,"_ La Flaga said in sudden understanding. His comm switched to a private channel with the Captain._ "Captain, there's no point in trying. It won't work."_

"What are you talking about, Commander?"

_"I'm talking about the fact that we have the sole survivor of Project ABADDON with us," _he replied forcefully._ "We've got the world's only cyborg on our hands."_

"Project ABADDON?" Ramius blinked; she'd heard rumors of the program, as had most within the Alliance military. But there was no hard data on what the project had been, and every indication that it had been shut down without any successes. "Commander, are you sure?"

_"Sure as I can be. I knew the kid was strong, but he just threw me into a wall like I didn't weigh anything, and I can tell you right now his right eye's bionic." _La Flaga sounded grimly amused._ "All this time, all the things we've seen him do, and it never occurred to us that it might be more than genetics. Captain, one of the few things Alliance Intelligence was fairly sure of about the Destroyers was that they could interface with computers using their minds; that's why we can't stop him from taking off. Our systems aren't designed to defend against that kind of invasion, and he's literally disabling them at the speed of thought."_

Ramius nodded as her conversations with Snake finally began to make sense. His hatred for ZAFT, his allusions to them having turned him into a super-soldier... and the superhuman feats he'd performed. Kira had mentioned seeing him take a bullet to the head without hardly noticing.

She turned to CIC. "Crewman Haw, cease your override attempts. It seems it's not going to work."

* * *

Kevin angled his Skygrasper across the sunset sky, frozen jade eyes restlessly scanning the water and his instrument panel, searching for any sign of his friend. _Cagalli... Where are you?_

He knew he'd given himself away to the crew by pulling this stunt; by now they doubtless all knew what he was, after his display of strength and hacking skills. But he didn't care right then; all he cared about was finding Cagalli. "I won't leave you out here, tovarisch. I _will_ find you. I promise." Setting his autopilot to a search pattern, he opened the gear bag and checked its contents.

It contained an extra gun, a pair of hand grenades, and numerous explosive materials; he was, among other things, a demolitions expert. Also within was extra ammunition and rations.

Snake barely noticed when he overflew the Strike; he figured Kira was unlikely to find Cagalli tonight, so he ignored him completely. His mind was focused on his goal; everything else was irrelevant.

It was nearly four hours after takeoff that he picked up the distress signal.

* * *

On the deserted island where he had crash-landed, Athrun Zala jerked awake as he felt his gun being pulled from his belt. At the same time, a blanket fell on him, giving Cagalli, his nominal captive, a chance to reach the other side of the cave. 

The distraction was momentary; an instant later he was free, with a wicked switchblade in his hand. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I don't want to shoot you," Cagalli said, holding the gun high. "But I will if I have to." She jerked her head at the Aegis, knelt powered-down outside the cave. "I realize Orb is at fault for making them, but that thing, that mobile suit will hurt more innocent people if I let you go!"

Athrun's eyes narrowed; this girl had no idea he could kill her before she could lower the gun to firing position. "I won't let you take my machine," he said softly, dangerously. "And if you try to shoot me... then I'll take your life!"

"Try it, and I will break you in half."

Athrun barely managed to stay still as the cold, slightly distorted voice spoke from behind him. The gun barrel pressed against the back of his neck gave him added incentive. "Who are you?"

Cagalli moved the gun uncertainly, not knowing who was the greater threat: the ZAFT pilot, or the helmeted figure in the black flight suit, who pressed an antique Colt automatic to her captor's neck. Then she saw the patch on his shoulder: the King Cobra. "Snake!"

"Precisely." With his free hand, he yanked off his helmet and tossed it away. "You didn't think I was gonna give up on you, did you?" Snake prodded Athrun with the gun. "Now, Athrun, turn around. Very slowly."

Still holding the knife, he did what he was told. And when he saw the scarred face, he realized just who had captured him. "Kevin. So you've survived this far."

"What, you thought I'd actually die on the way here?" Snake shook his head. "No, it's you who's going to die. I'd really rather not have to explain to Lacus why I blew your head off, but I swore an oath; and I take my oaths very seriously."

"How do you know Lacus?" Athrun was getting angry.

"We go way back. In fact, I've probably known her longer than _you_ have. I'm also somewhat acquainted with your father." Kevin looked disgusted. "Why your mother married a bastard like Patrick Zala is beyond me."

That did it; Athrun elbowed his former friend in the gut, snatched the automatic, and buried his switchblade in Snake's chest.

He started to raise the pistol, then noticed two things: first, the gun's magazine had been ejected during the scuffle, and there was no round chambered. Second, the super-soldier was not behaving at all like someone who has just been fatally stabbed.

"You know, Athrun," Snake said calmly, yanking the knife out of his chest, "there's something they apparently neglected to tell you in training: knife-murder victims tend to have so many stab wounds because it really isn't that easy to stab a man to death. And besides: it is virtually impossible to seriously injure me with a knife."

To Athrun's utter shock, Kevin snapped the switchblade in half and dropped the pieces to the ground. "What in the-"

The super-soldier settled into a martial arts stance. "Believe me, Athrun, you have no idea at all what you're dealing with. I am far beyond you." He smiled coldly. "Now, are you just gonna stand there gaping, or are you gonna fight?"

The ZAFT saw he had no choice; and besides, that crack about his parents made him angry. He lunged at his opponent, raising the pistol like a club.

Kevin sidestepped, raised his right hand in the disarming strike he'd used on Cagalli in the desert, and struck, sending the empty weapon flying. "You'll have to do better than that, old buddy."

Even Kevin Walker, elite of the elite and former commander of the Destroyers, was not invincible, as demonstrated in Banadiya. Even with his augmentation fully online, he could be hit; especially by someone like Athrun, who had watched him practice his chosen art many times, in years past.

So Kevin, while mildly annoyed, was not terribly surprised when Athrun got a kick past his guard, catching him in the chin. He was also, however, not inclined to take that lying down. His retaliatory backhand knocked Athrun across the cave.

Dazed, the blue-haired pilot picked himself up, shook the cobwebs out of his head, and moved back into position. This time, he tried a stiff punch to the gut.

He underestimated Kevin's speed. The sandy-haired youth grabbed the incoming fist, fell onto his back, and pushed hard with both legs at the moment he released his grip. Once again, Athrun went flying.

Neither felt like waiting for the next move. They charged each other, and Cagalli watched the brief blur of hands and feet. This time, there was no doubt as to who the victor was, for Kevin was suddenly kneeling on Athrun's spine, powerful hands gripping the prone pilot's right arm.

"Two more pounds of pressure," he said conversationally, "and your wrist will snap." His right hand was suddenly holding another gun, his Peacemaker. "You know what they call this? It's a New York reload. Also known as a second gun." Releasing Athrun's wrist, he pressed the revolver against the back of the pilot's head. "These bullets are filled with mercury. One shot and your brains will turn up as far away as Gibraltar."

Athrun grimaced, resigned. "If you're gonna shoot me, then shoot me."

"With pleasure." Snake increased pressure on the trigger.

"Wait!" Cagalli called out. "Don't!"

Kevin looked at her in surprise. "What are you talking about? Give me one good reason I shouldn't blow him away."

"If it weren't for him, I might not be alive right now." Cagalli grabbed his arm. "Come on, Kevin. This isn't a battlefield. There's no need for this here."

He considered the matter. "Athrun," he said finally. "I'll let you up, if you give me your word you won't try anything."

Athrun managed a tight smile. "How do you know I won't lie to you?"

"Because, whatever my problems with you may be, I know you're not a liar."

He considered that. "Okay. I give you my word."

"Good enough." Snake stood, holstering his gun. "Just remember, if you try anything..." He raised a hand, extending his claws toward Athrun's throat.

"I see," the ZAFT pilot said, swallowing. "Kevin, what are you?"

The claws vanished. "To put it simply, a super-soldier. There is literally no human being in existence, Natural or Coordinator, who's better than me on the ground. You might have the edge in mobile suits, but you're no match for me on foot."

"Well, if you're all finished threatening to kill people, I think we should all call it a night," Cagalli said. "Assuming neither of you wants to fight a duel to the death or something."

"Not here, not now," Snake said. "Maybe in battle, but not here."

* * *

It was not to be a completely undisturbed night. In the middle of it, both Cagalli and Athrun were awakened by moaning and faint shouting. 

Athrun jumped to his feet, searching for the source. "What the-"

"It's Snake," Cagalli said, standing. She pointed to where the super-soldier lay, writhing in his sleep and making the moans that had awakened them. "He gets that every night."

"Why?" He moved to awaken the tormented young man.

"Don't!" Cagalli warned. "Not unless you want to die."

Athrun froze. "Care to repeat that?"

"Waking him up when he's having that nightmare can be very dangerous," she explained. "I've seen what he's done to things when suddenly awakened during that. He'd probably kill you, judging from how much he seems to hate you right now."

"What could be doing this to him?" The fact that they were enemies meant little at this moment; they had agreed not fight here, and it still bothered him to see someone who had once been a close friend being tormented this way. "What happened to him?"

Cagalli looked at him with a measure of disgust. "ZAFT did this to him. ZAFT made him what he is."

Athrun instantly shook his head. "No, ZAFT would never do this to anyone! If he's been turned into some kind of super-soldier against his will, it couldn't have been ZAFT."

"Ask him yourself," she challenged. "Ask him why he doesn't sleep at night. Ask him why he hates ZAFT so bitterly. Ask him why he's the deadliest person in the world."

That gave him pause; while he pondered it, Cagalli moved to Kevin's side.

She carefully shook him. "Come on, Kevin, snap out of it. Wake up."

He woke very abruptly, and she nearly lost her head for her troubles. "What? What? What's-" Snake relaxed, sheathing the claws he'd unconsciously extended. "Sorry. I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

"Yeah. The same nightmare?"

"Yeah." He took several deep, calming breaths, gradually bringing his heart rate back to normal, with a little help from his augmentation.

Athrun finally spoke. "Kevin, what are you?"

Snake turned to his former friend, eyes jade ice. "I am the Abaddon," he said softly, bitterly, "the last remaining Destroyer. I was designed to be the most lethal human being in history." He stared right into Athrun's eyes. _"I am what your father made me!"_

Athrun jerked back in shocked denial. "What are you talking about? My father never-"

"I saw the paperwork for the Project, Athrun," Kevin said coldly. "Patrick Zala personally authorized Project ABADDON. I saw his signature. More to the point, I saw him when he visited the lab. Back then, I was a perfectly loyal soldier, thanks to the brainwashing. But I remember quite clearly seeing your father there, saw the approval on his face."

"It... can't be..."

"It is. Ask him yourself, Athrun. Ask him about the twelve Coordinators he had turned into monsters." Snake's fists unclenched suddenly, and he smiled coldly. "I was created to destroy the world. Instead I fight to save it, and to destroy my creators."

"My father... He'd never..." Athrun was torn between knowing that Snake had never lied to him about anything besides his identity, and the belief that his father was incapable of such a thing.

"He did." Snake laughed quietly, with a trace of genuine amusement. "They designed me to be the deadliest human being in history, and they succeeded. The project wasn't canceled because they _failed_, Athrun. Oh, no. It was canceled because they succeeded beyond their highest expectations... only to discover the hard way you can't keep a zoanthrope brainwashed forever." His levity vanished. "So forgive me if I seem a little unkind toward ZAFT. _That's_ why I stuck with the _Archangel_, old buddy. It is my mission in life to annihilate ZAFT, and let me tell you: killing is something I'm very, _very_ good at."

Cagalli wasn't sure she liked the direction this conversation was taking; she had no love for ZAFT, either, but she didn't want anyone to die here. Not even the pilot who had captured her, and she had no doubt he would be the loser of any fight. "This isn't a battlefield, okay?" she broke in, dispelling the tension. "Kevin, are you going to get any more sleep?"

Snake shook his head. "Probably not, so I'll stand watch. That's okay; I don't need as much sleep as normal people." He moved to the cave mouth and opened the gear bag he'd left there. From it he withdrew the M4 he'd used in Banadiya, then leaned against the rock wall, eyes roving across the rainy landscape. "By the way, Athrun," he said over his shoulder. "Don't try to steal my plane; I wouldn't even bother to shoot you. A., it's about out of fuel, and B., it's wired with enough explosives to blow you to orbit without a mass driver. In addition to being the team leader, I was the Project's demolitions expert."

Athrun swallowed again; his cheerful friend from Copernicus had clearly become something far more frightening in the intervening years. "I understand," he managed. "Look, Kevin," he added, "I really don't want to kill you. This is war, not personal."

"How nice," Snake replied conversationally. "Unfortunately, I _do_ want to kill you. But, as Cagalli said, this isn't a battlefield."

Chilled by the calm, almost cheerful words, Athrun and Cagalli returned to the cave, the ZAFT pilot thinking about how much his friend had changed. The easy way he spoke of death... _Kevin, are you a sociopath? Or is there more going on here than I can see? And why go to such lengths to protect this girl who isn't even with the Earth Forces?_

Dropping back to an uneasy sleep, he wondered if those questions would ever be answered for him.

* * *

The next morning, Athrun woke suddenly, checking the small device on his wrist. Leaping to his feet and running past the curious, suspicious Kevin, he got aboard the Aegis. The buoy he'd deployed had detected a ZAFT helicopter. 

"Athrun, can you hear me?"

He keyed his mike. "Nicol? Is that you?"

"Glad to hear you, Athrun. I'm on my way."

As Athrun descended, Cagalli and Snake walked over to him. "Something up?" the super-soldier asked suspiciously.

"There's a ZAFT rescue party coming," he replied. "They'll be here soon. I've also detected an Earth Forces aircraft, and something coming from underwater." Athrun jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going to go hide this machine; I don't want this to turn into a battlefield."

"Right," Cagalli said. "I'd better return to my aircraft; I'll find someplace to hide."

Athrun smiled in polite disbelief. "Yeah, right."

"Bye." She started to walk away, back toward where her Skygrasper had crashed.

"Hey!" he called after her. "You sure you're not with the Earth Forces?"

Cagalli shook her head. "Nope; I'm not."

As she went on her way, and Athrun moved toward his machine, Snake suddenly spoke. "Athrun."

He turned, curious. "What?"

"I want you to give the Duel's pilot a message from me." The jade eyes were cool, but not frozen. "That shuttle he blasted in orbit? Those weren't soldiers. Those were civilians, refugees from Heliopolis that Kira and I protected all the way to Earth orbit, only to see them slaughtered."

Athrun's eyes went wide with dismay, remembering Kevin's bitter words that day. "No... Refugees?"

"That's right." He smiled coldly. "And tell him this: if we meet, he dies."

The other pilot hesitated, then nodded. "I'll do that. Be warned, though: Yzak Joule is not the kind of enemy you normally want to make. But then, of course, you don't fear people, do you?" Snake gave him a silent shake of the head. "By the way, Snake, if that's what they're calling you now. Why did you spare my life?"

That took Snake slightly aback. "It wasn't for old times' sake," he said slowly. "You know I don't do things for that reason. Part of it was Cagalli; I don't know exactly why she didn't want you dead, but her opinion carries considerable weight with me. More than my own, in fact; I trust her judgment more than mine. But mostly?" He smiled, a look of pleasant recollection, instead of sarcasm or malice this time. "As Andrew Waltfeld once said, this isn't a battlefield. We don't meet this day as enemies."

Athrun blinked in surprise. "How did you know Commander Waltfeld?"

"He was my mentor; he taught me the art of war." Snake looked slightly saddened, a very unusual expression for him. "It was with great regret that I fought him. But, lucky for me, it fell to another to kill him." He turned away, heading for his fighter. "See you on the battlefield!"

Soon, the island was deserted once more.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker's deepest secret has been revealed at last, and he's had his first run-in with Athrun since swearing to kill him. All that has saved Athrun's life is Kevin's deference to Cagalli; else his former friend would have had more than merely the tar beaten out of him. 

Next chapter, they reach Orb; can his true identity possibly remain secret any long?

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, believe me when I say that Kevin's meeting with Uzumi Nara Athha will _not_ be a very pleasant experience for either party; it should, however, be quite interesting.

Also, you now see exactly what happens when someone, such as Athrun, threatens Cagalli in Kevin's presence. Brr. As for your last point, all I'll say is, keep reading.

RVD, permission granted. I'm rather proud of those two characters myself; best OCs I've ever created, I think.

Shinji Ikari, I quite agree regarding Kevin's philosophy on vengeance. I'd never do such a thing myself -though people certainly do things they otherwise wouldn't if they get angry enough- but it works well as a plot device. After all, in order to be believable (which, I'll admit, many of my earlier OCs really weren't) a character has to have something of a darker side, just like a real person. This is a trait which, while it may mellow some later on, will remain with him for the rest of the story. It's simply a part of who he is, and if you take that away, you also remove much of his motivation for continuing his journey.

You are, in retrospect, quite correct about Kira's use of the nickname "Snake"; the thought had not, unfortunately, occurred to me before, but it's a matter that _will_ be dealt with from here on. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

On a lesser note, you're certainly correct in thinking Kevin wouldn't be sufficiently "unskilled socially" to make such a request; he is, after all, who he is, even if most of the crew doesn't know it yet.

Regarding Rau, though; it always sounded to me like Mu was trying to convince _himself_ that it was a "fairy tale". I could be wrong, but after everything they'd already seen at the GARM facility, he didn't seem as disbelieving as he might have.

One thing you said that perplexes me, however: I can recall no mention of Blue Cosmos having started by trying to create _better_ Coordinators; according to the website, they were an environmental pressure group that declared opposition to the existence of Coordinators practically from the day George Glenn revealed their existence.

I didn't say, by the way, that Cagalli seemed less confident during her second flight; she clearly was. What I said was that it didn't really seem related to her previous flight. If that had been the case, I would have assumed she wouldn't be nearly so ready to take off again, if her crash bothered her so much. Again, however, I could be wrong.

And, in yet another matter where my memory may be faulty, I can't seem to recall saying that Flay remained bloodthirsty to the end. In any case, while I don't have volume 10 yet, I _do_ have the relevant episodes on tape, so I'm well aware of her change of heart toward the end. If she had lived -which, as I've mentioned, she will in my version- I imagine she and Kira would at least have become close friends again.

All right; I think that's everything, and this time it didn't take me a full ninety minutes to write the notes. So, just read and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	17. Chapter 17: The Prodigal Son's Return

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

One simply did not properly appreciate a nice, civilized shipboard environment until one had spent a night on a deserted island with naught but one close friend, an enemy pilot, and nightmares for company, Kevin reflected. 

It had been more than a week since his mission to rescue Cagalli from the island that had also contained Athrun Zala, the mission that had been fruitless until Kira's arrival; he'd failed to factor in fuel consumption, an unusual oversight for him. During that time, Snake had had to accept the fact that the entire crew now knew him to be a cyborg, even if they still did not know his true identity. His encounter with La Flaga in the hanger, and his hacking of the ship's computers, had been proof of that.

Surprisingly, it hadn't really bothered any of them. Or perhaps it wasn't so surprising. After all, Snake had proven himself time and again; any new revelations merely explained how he did what he did. Beyond that, it mattered little, except perhaps to Kuzzey, who didn't trust him anyway.

Of course, from the way things were going now, trust would soon be irrelevant. Another _Vosgulov_, identified as the _Cousteau_, had attacked them a few days earlier; now they were back, with the captured G-weapons with them. Soon, the ship might well be at the bottom of the ocean.

Kevin rushed into the hanger as fast as his legs would carry him. The battle was already raging; he'd been late after oversleeping; one wouldn't expect a Destroyer to have such a problem, but after getting even less sleep than _he_ needed, for several nights in a row, he'd just hit his limits and not even been awakened by the call to battlestations for several minutes. Now he was cursing himself for it.

"There you are, kid," Murdoch greeted him. "Not sure what good you're gonna do, though; your Skygrasper's down for repairs 'cause of some kind of short. The engines won't even fire."

"Then I'll take the Punisher." Snake ran over to his hybrid mobile suit.

The mechanic grabbed his shoulder. "Snake, you're crazy! Last time, flying it was stupid; if you do it now, you're not coming back, you understand? That thing'll break apart at any excuse!"

Kevin shook him off. "Then I'm not coming back. Chief, if I don't do this, none of us are coming back." He looked back. "If it's my time to die, then so be it." He leapt aboard.

Murdoch sighed, watching the unstable weapon make its way to the catapult. "Godspeed, kid."

* * *

X401 Punisher leapt into the sky, and Kevin realized instantly that Murdoch was right: judging from how shaky the whole machine felt, it probably wouldn't even survive landing, even if he somehow avoided being hit. 

So be it.

Snake knew this battle called for the very best performance he could manage, so without hesitation he disengaged the primary flight controls and pressed his palm against the neural interface. In an instant, he was no longer _flying_ Punisher. He w_as_ Punisher, and he would fight to the death and beyond, if that's what it took, to defend his ship and his friends.

"_Archangel_, Punisher is airborne," he said. "Sitrep?"

_"About what it looks like, Snake,"_ Sai told him._ "Four enemy mobile suits, plus their Guuls. Lieutenant Badgiruel says to make them your primary targets."_

"Affirmative. Engaging Buster." Snake angled into the fight, flying directly at his perennial irritant, Dearka Elsman. The ZAFT pilot had never been more than a nuisance to him, but he was a nuisance trying to blow him up. That made him a prime, and satisfying, target.

"You again, Walker?" Dearka laughed. "I'm surprised that thing can still fly. What's holding it together, chicken wire?"

"Elsman, you persist in using idioms you don't understand. I doubt you have any idea what chicken wire is." Kevin raised his beam rifle. "And what's holding it together is... _vengeance_."

"How about I just kill you now and be done with it?" Dearka snapped off a shot with his gun launcher, knowing that one good hit was all he needed.

"You can try," Snake grunted, sideslipping at the last instant, "but better men than you have tried, and here I am, still alive."

Meanwhile, Kira, too, had gotten the orders to change targets. Taking the Duel's fire on his shield, he waited patiently for the crosshairs to match up on the enemy's Guul... and fired, blowing a hole straight through it.

"Now you're gonna pay for this!" The Duel leapt clear, using its verniers to attempt to land on the _Archangel_. They weren't sufficient to keep him in the air, but he could direct his fall.

"Is he jumping onboard?" Kira asked himself, surprised. He knew what to do, however.

The Strike set its beam rifle on the deck and took off, the Aile Striker pack giving it the independent flight capabilities the other G-weapons lacked.

The Duel was hurtling towards him with a beam saber out, and the Strike drew its own just before they clashed. His aimed slightly lowered...

"What?" Yzak shouted in surprise. The Strike had sliced completely through his saber, ruining it. Then, to add insult to injury, it landed on his back, then used it as a springboard, aiming for the Blitz. "No!" He futilely fired his linear gun at it, shouting in anger and frustration as Kira effortlessly dodged every shot.

Nicol Amalfi watched the Strike come at him in horror. "Oh, no!"

The Earth Forces mobile suit slammed into him, knocking the Blitz off its Guul, and stabbed the machine, destroying it. The Blitz plummeted toward the water, like the Duel, out of the fight.

"Nicol!" Athrun brought his Aegis around, firing his rifle at the Strike. Kira intercepted the blasts on his shield, dropping back to the _Archangel_'s deck.

_Kira,_ he thought._ Your skills have really improved. _It occurred to Athrun to wonder which of his old friends was the deadlier opponent: Kira, with his state-of-the-art Strike, or Kevin, with his unstable hybrid. Without question, the Strike was doing better, but Snake was holding his own despite the problems with his mobile suit. With a more powerful machine, he might well be even better.

Kevin, at that moment, was worrying less about the ZAFT machines than about the oncoming Orb fleet he'd detected. He knew better than almost anyone else onboard what would happen if the _Archangel_ strayed into Orb territory. _Of course,_ he thought, _if Cagalli chooses to reveal herself, we'll be just fine. Will she?_

His radio picked up the transmission from the fleet. _"Attention, Earth Forces vessel. You are approaching Orb Union territory. Turn back at once. We will not permit armed forces from ZAFT or the Earth Alliance to enter our waters; turn back or we will exercise our right to defend ourselves. This is your last warning: change course or we will open fire."_

On the Bridge, Cagalli turned to Ramius. "It doesn't matter. Continue on course!" She ran aft to Kuzzey's station and snatched his headset. "Attention, Orb fleet! How can you say something like that after seeing the mess we're in? Defend us at once!"

The Orb commander frowned. _"Who is speaking?"_

"If you don't recognize me, then connect me to your superiors at once!" She glanced away, dreading what she was about to do. "Call my father. Call Uzumi Nara Athha!" As the crew looked at each other in collective surprise, she faced the screen again. "My name... My name is Cagalli Yula Athha!"

"But... Athha is..." Sai said to Mir, eyes wide.

"Chief Representative..." she finished.

_Nice timing, tovarisch,_ Kevin thought.

_"I'm in no mood for jokes!"_ the Orb commander finally said._ "There's no way the princess could be on your ship. And even if you are who you say you are, I can't just do whatever you say without some kind of evidence to back up your claims!"_

"You brainless-" The signal cut off.

"No need to get so flustered," Dearka said, raising his guns. "They're not going to reach your territory!"

"I don't think so!" The Punisher interposed itself between the Buster and the_ Archangel_... and took a hit right to the hardwired Striker pack, blowing it off and causing numerous secondary explosions throughout the mobile suit.

A muffled expletive was clearly heard over the Bridge radio, and Cagalli turned in horror to the screen showing the battle. _"Kevin?"_

"I'm hit," he said, voice inhumanly calm even as he faced his own death. "Punisher is going down."

"Eject, Kevin!"

"Snake, get out of there!" Ramius called.

"Can't; ejection system got fried." Snake could be heard breathing heavily. "I think I've got a collapsed lung, too. I'm not getting out of this one." A splash came over the radio. "Just hit the water; I'm not gonna last much longer." There was a pause. "Bloody. Computer malfunction. The self-destruct system just activated."

"Kevin!"

"Sorry, tovarisch," Kevin said. "I guess this is it." He started to add something, then stopped himself with a sigh. _It'll make _me_ feel better, but I'm going to my grave anyway. I won't make this harder on her._ "Good bye." He switched frequencies. "Kira, buddy..."

"What is it, Kevin?" Kira replied instantly. _You can't be dying... can you? No..._

"Promise me..." He coughed. "Promise me you'll take care of her, okay?"

"Yeah, Kevin." Kira swallowed hard. "I promise."

"Thanks. Bloody _h-_"

The transmission ended with an ominous crack, and Mir stared at her console. "Signal lost, Captain," she said tonelessly, unable to believe what had just happened.

Cagalli collapsed on the deck, stunned. "Not again... He can't be gone..."

Kira stared at the spot where Punisher went down, unable to believe his eyes. _No... He _can't_ be gone. Not after everything he's survived!_

He remembered the attack on Heliopolis, when Kevin first demonstrated his more than human combat skill. The breakout from Artemis, when his augmentation came fully online. The ambush in Banadiya...

Kevin _couldn't_ be gone. But he was.

But Kira, much as he wanted to, couldn't allow himself to grieve yet; not if he wanted to live, and to protect the _Archangel; _so he blinked back his tears and went back to work. _That's what Kevin would expect, anyway._

The battle still raged, but not for much longer. A precise beam shot from Kira knocked the Buster out of the sky, and Dearka cursed. "Take this!" He fired his shotgun-like weapon.

"Engines 4 and 5 are down!" came the report.

"We're going down, Captain!" Neumann said, struggling with his controls.

"We have no choice but to enter their territory now," Kisaka said, next to a grieving Cagalli. "Don't worry; Orb's Second Escort Fleet is famous for their accuracy. We'll be just fine."

Ramius nodded, though still completely bemused by the latest turns of events. "I understand."

The ship hit the water with a splash, entering Orb's waters in the process. _"Since you have seen fit to ignore our warnings, we have no choice but to open fire."_

The entire fleet opened up on the _Archangel_, and without a closer look than anyone could get, it appeared that they missed by accident.

The only witness, Athrun, had no choice but to retreat. This he did, wondering if his old friend truly did sleep beneath the waves this day.

* * *

As the ship approached Orb's main islands, Chief Murdoch sighed and stared at the debris covering the hanger deck. Ramius had ordered that the remains of the Punisher be recovered, and here they were, scattered everywhere. The only recognizable pieces were the phase-shift generator and the thoroughly mangled cockpit. 

The crew's morale was low; Kevin Walker had been well-liked by his shipmates, and his death had come as a tremendous shock. It had seemed preposterous that he could die, but now he had, victim of the Buster and water pressure, or so it appeared.

Kira and Cagalli had taken it the hardest; they'd both known him for a decade or more, and he'd been very close to them both. Kira was still in the Strike's cockpit, and Cagalli hadn't said a word in hours.

_Blast it, kid, why'd you do it? I told you it was suicide. _Yet his sacrifice might well have saved the ship, Murdoch acknowledged. He'd taken a hit from the Buster that would have inflicted great damage; the fact that the Buster had subsequently shot them down anyway was irrelevant.

"So what's left, Chief?" La Flaga asked, coming up beside him.

"Not much, Commander. We haven't opened the cockpit yet, and we're kinda afraid to." The mechanic shrugged. "I'd say it was water pressure that killed him, all right. Why pieces came to the surface, we may never know."

"We'll have to look eventually," the pilot noted. "I'm not looking forward to it, either."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of muffled cursing coming toward them. And it wasn't in English. "Russian?" Murdoch noted, puzzled.

"Who do we have that speaks Russian?" La Flaga agreed.

They both stared in astonishment as a black-clad figure limped toward them, cursing vilely in Russian, and staggered to an intercom panel.

On the Bridge, Ramius sighed; she, too, was thinking of the loss they had suffered this day. But then one of the intercom panels on her chair lit up. _"Bridge, this is Walker."_

She sat bolt upright, eyes widening in shock, as behind her, Cagalli looked up in equal surprise. "What-"

_"I ain't dead; I just feel like it."_ The battered figure on the screen smiled wearily._ "Just thought I should let everybody know it's not quite time for the funeral."_

"It's good to see you, Snake," Ramius said in relief. "I'll be most interested in hearing how you survived, but for now, could you come to the Bridge? We're nearing Orb, and we may need your... knowledge of the area. If you can make it."

"I'll need a little help, but yeah, I can make it. My augmentation reinflated the lung. I'll be right there."

In the hanger, a stunned Kira and La Flaga each took one of Kevin's shoulders, helping him up toward the Bridge.

* * *

Minutes later, Kevin limped onto the Bridge with his fellow pilots' assistance. "Reporting as ordered, Captain," he said, voice showing his fatigue.

Instantly, Cagalli knocked him off his feet. "You _idiot!"_ she yelled, repeatedly beating his head against the deck. "How could you get yourself _again?"_

"Hey, hey, relax, will ya?" Kevin rubbed his head. "I'm still not exactly in top form, okay?"

She let him up. "Sorry. It's just... don't _ever_ do that to me again, got it?"

"Yeah, sure..." He looked at the Captain again. "As I was saying, Ma'am, reporting as ordered."

"Ah, there you are... Baron," Ramius said, standing to greet him.

There was total silence on the Bridge as the form of address registered. "Uh, Captain..." Badgiruel said. "What did you just call him?"

Snake smiled tiredly. "I'm afraid I haven't been entirely candid with you."

Her eyes narrowed; behind her, Sai and Mir exchanged confused looks. "Your name, Ensign?"

He straightened to attention, despite the pain. "Baron Kevin Onishi," he said, his voice suddenly that of an Orb aristocrat.

La Flaga's eyes widened. "The Fencing Prince?"

"One and the same, Commander."

His classmates, having known him the longest, were perhaps the most shocked of all. "But... you're supposed to be dead," Tolle managed.

The Baron chuckled. "Yeah, and I was supposed to have died a few hours ago, too. These things happen."

Cagalli managed a knowing smirk. "Now you know how we know each other," she said.

"But what's an Orb noble doing out here?" Sai wondered. "Why were you on Heliopolis?"

"Yeah, and why didn't you tell us?" Mir chimed in.

"My reasons for being here and on Heliopolis are just as I've said before," Kevin said. "As for why I didn't tell you... Look, I had to die before I could get free from politics, from the special treatment a nobleman 'deserves'. I just wanted to be treated like everyone else." He turned to La Flaga and raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised, Commander, that you didn't recognize me instantly. You might recall we met, some years ago."

The pilot nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess we did. But when you know a guy's dead, it's harder to realize it when you've come face-to-face with him." He cocked his head. "So what really happened two years ago? How did you survive that assassination? Plenty of witnesses, including the princess, here, saw you die."

"The simple answer: I _didn't_ survive the assassination." At the odd looks, he shrugged. "I have no idea why I'm alive; there's little doubt that I was in fact dead. But I'm here anyway. And before you ask the next obvious question, yes, that is one reason I've stayed away from Orb since then."

"So that's what you meant when you said you'd be in danger here," Tolle said, remembering his words a week earlier. "In danger from what?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Snake said, lying through his teeth; this wasn't something he cared to discuss. "What matters is this: I would appreciate it greatly if none of you use my true name outside of Morgenroete. They can be trusted, especially since my father was some kind of bigwig there, but I can't be certain of anyone else. And whatever you do, please, _please_ don't call me Baron." He shook his head. "Some people I can tolerate that from, but you guys all know me. There's no need for that."

"I understand," Ramius said.

Kevin walked to the main screen. "So. We're going to Onogoro, eh? I know one of the senior engineers pretty well. Erica Simmons." He glanced back at the Captain. "I gather we're going to get repairs here?"

"We're going to discuss that with Chief Representative Athha," she replied. "I'm sure something can be worked out."

"Well, if there's any trouble, let me know." He smiled. "I gather my family's accounts are still active, so if nothing else _I_ could pay for the repairs."

"I doubt that'll be necessary," Cagalli said. "You know my father."

"That's true." Snake sighed. "Just remember not to tell him who I am, okay? We... never got along," he explained to Ramius.

"We're docking," Neumann reported.

Kisaka turned to the Captain. "If you'll come with me, I believe Lord Uzumi is waiting for us now."

* * *

While the officers went off to confer with Chief Representative Athha, the crew was treated to some surprises: after a retainer of some sort to the Athha family came aboard, Cagalli left her quarters, wearing a green dress similar to that Andrew Waltfeld had given her. 

The crew, including Kira and Flay, watched her pass with a mixture of surprise and awe; but it was the next person to appear that caused the greatest confusion.

The sandy-haired young man who stepped into the corridor looked like the Snake, but the crew (most of whom had not yet heard his announcement on the Bridge) knew it wasn't the Snake, because the Snake was a super-soldier commando-type, utterly lacking in spit-and-polish. This fellow was clearly some kind of aristocrat, perhaps a relative of the Snake, but definitely _not_ the Snake.

The nobleman was dressed in a black uniform that looked like something out of the Napoleonic Era, complete with a rapier clipped to the belt. He was immaculately groomed, except for his slightly ragged hair (for once the rumors were correct: he _did_ cut it with his Bowie knife), and walked down the corridor to Cagalli with the confident stride of the high-born.

The stranger stopped in front of her and kissed her hand, before moving to her side and escorting her out, all without a word.

Flay, standing with Kira near the bulkhead, was for once lacking in her dislike of Cagalli. It was replaced with puzzlement, and after they had gone, she turned to Kira. "Who was _he_?"

"I guess you didn't hear, huh?" Kira chuckled. "That was Kevin."

"Kevin? But he's not-"

"He said that he 'hasn't been entirely candid' with us." He shook his head. "Turns out Kevin's really a nobleman. A Baron, in fact, of an old Orb family. I've known him for ten years, and I didn't know the truth until today."

* * *

Baron Kevin Onishi (he made a mental note to have his name legally changed to "Walker" when it came time to announce his survival) sat with his old friend the Princess Cagalli Yula Athha in her limousine en route to her home. He had no intention of actually entering, but Captain Ramius had granted him enough leave to see her off. 

"So we're both revealed as who we really are," Kevin murmured. "Not exactly how I'd intended things, but I suppose the Captain was right. Now that we're in Orb, it's time the crew knew my real name." He glanced at his companion. "I haven't seen your father in years; just what do you think will be his price for the _Archangel_'s repairs?"

"I think he wants technical support," she replied after a moment. "The M1 Astray program hit some kind of snag with the OS, so if I know my father, he'll ask for the Strike's combat data and Kira's help with the computers."

"Hmm." He leaned back, thinking about it. "Well, that's fair enough, I suppose; we'll certainly be in Orb long enough, given the kind of damage we took. Captain Ramius will probably agree, but I think Lieutenant Badgiruel won't be too happy." He smirked. "Not that she ever is."

"So she's always been like that?"

"As long as I've been with the ship; genetic defect, maybe." Kevin frowned. "Speaking of repairs, I'm going to have to see if Morgenroete can supply me with a new mobile suit, something less dangerous than Punisher was."

"I'm sure something can be worked out." With a slightly mischievous look, Cagalli changed the subject. "So what will you be doing while we're in here? Checking on your estate?"

"_My_ estate?" He blinked, then chuckled. "That's right; with my father gone, I inherited the old place, didn't I? Chalk it up to my not being used to this 'Baron' business; the last time I was here for any length of time, my father was still alive." Kevin shrugged. "Should be easy enough to get in and out without being noticed; if memory serves, there's a tunnel leading from the Morgenroete facility directly to the manor."

He sat back, remembering the old mansion that he hadn't seen in nearly four years. He'd been on the Moon when he received the message telling him to meet his parents in the PLANTs, and had been on Earth only long enough to change shuttles. There was one room he knew would be undisturbed; only two people had ever had access to his study: himself and Cagalli. The door would not permit others entrance, something guaranteed by biometric locks.

Presently the limo arrived at the Athha residence, and Cagalli climbed out. "Sure you're not coming in?"

Kevin shook his head. "Not now. Your father doesn't like me very much, so my presence might be counterproductive as regards the negotiations. I'll see you later."

She paused. "He may ask who rescued me back on that island, you know."

He waved a hand. "Just tell him a soldier from the _Archangel_ happened to locate you; it's the truth, after all. If he asks for a name..." Kevin thought for a moment. "Tell him it was Victor Tremaine; that's another of my aliases." He smiled. "See you."

The door closed, and the driver headed back to the Onogoro dock.

* * *

Kevin returned to the _Archangel_ just as Ramius, La Flaga, and Badgiruel arrived. "Hello, Captain," he said as he joined them. "How did things go?" 

Even Badgiruel, had she been so inclined, could not complain about his informality, for he was in the persona of a Baron, not a soldier, which gave him social precedence over all of them.

"We reached an agreement," Ramius told him.

"Oh?" He noticed the Lieutenant's look of annoyance as she brushed past. "I take it the Lieutenant doesn't approve?"

"You could say that," La Flaga said dryly.

"Lord Uzumi requested the Strike's current combat data, as well as Kira's cooperation for technical support." Ramius hesitated. "He also requested the aid of the Punisher's pilot."

Kevin tensed slightly. "You didn't give him my name, did you?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I recall your feelings on the matter, so you remained nameless. Do you have any objections to the assignment?"

He relaxed. "No, not at all, Captain. I know the engineer we're likely to be working with, Erica Simmons, quite well, so that should help; if outside contact becomes necessary, it wouldn't be too hard for me to be incognito. The scar and the sunglasses even fooled Cagalli, back in the desert. Given how little Lord Uzumi and I got along, and thus how little we saw each other, I should be able to dupe even him."

"Then it's settled." As the three began making their way toward the Bridge, Ramius turned to less important matters. "So, Snake, what are you going to be doing while we're here? Repair estimates are around three weeks, and I imagine you won't be working with the Morgenroete engineers all the time."

Kevin thought about that for awhile. "Well, for one, I'm going to get back into practice with fencing; since everybody knows who I am now anyway, there's no reason now to deny myself my old hobby. I'm also going to see if Morgenroete can provide me with a new mobile suit, something a little more advanced -and safer- than my old hybrid." He failed to notice the look Ramius and La Flaga exchanged. "And, with your permission, Captain, I'm going to be spending some time at my estate, looking things over, making sure it's in good shape."

"Of course, Ensign." Ramius smiled. "After all, we couldn't very well deny a Baron access to his own home, now could we?"

He groaned. "I suppose I should get used to it. But please, Captain, I'm still the Snake, too. That's how I'd prefer to remain aboard the _Archangel_."

"Of course."

"I suggest you go with Kira," La Flaga said. "He's taking the Strike to the Morgenroete factory tomorrow night, after dark; you should be able to hitch a ride with him."

"I'll do that, Commander." Snake stopped, saluted, and left, heading for his own quarters.

_Now why were they looking so amused?_ he wondered._ Is there a surprise coming? If so, I might have to kill someone..._

* * *

The next evening, Snake turned up in the hanger, carrying a bag over his shoulder as he strode over to the Strike. Kira, who was waiting for him, didn't bother to ask what was in it. If he knew Kevin Walker, it contained guns and other things that went bang. 

"Everything ready?" Snake called up to the cockpit.

"All set," Kira replied. "Commander La Flaga said you'd be coming with; need me to open the hatch?"

"Nope, I'm fine." Moving with the grace of an acrobat and the climbing abilities of a spider, the super-soldier swarmed up the Strike, ending up perched on the right shoulder. Once there, he switched to nanocommunication, via his implant radio. "Radio check," he subvocalized.

"Loud and clear, Kevin." Kira shook his head, thinking that it must be handy to have all that technology built into his own body. Radio, computers, even limited weaponry in the form of his claws.

On the other hand, though Snake had never said so, Kira suspected that the augmentation process itself was horrific, to say the least.

"Ready, Kevin?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." With a special harness, Kevin was tied to the Strike's frame, at one of the Striker pack hard points. "Let's move."

The Strike came to life and made its way out of the _Archangel_'s hanger, then up to the surface. A ground car was already waiting to guide them to the hidden elevator leading into Morgenroete's special-projects' factory.

_"Follow us,"_ the guide told Kira._ "And don't take too long; if we're still out here by dawn, they might detect you."_

"Roger that."

As the Strike walked along next to the roadway, Kevin stood (he'd discovered it was simpler to use the electromagnetic field generated by his implants, suitably modulated, to stay attached to the mobile suit), watching the area with interest. It had been a long time since he saw his native land, and he was enjoying it, despite the possible danger to himself. He wasn't too worried, though; if there was a more dangerous man than he, he'd never even heard of him.

"Ah, the Orb countryside," he told Kira over their private radio link. "It's good to be home, tovarisch."

"You grew up around here, Kevin?"

"Yes and no," he admitted after a moment. "This is the area I lived in, but from age six on I spent most of my time on the Moon, with a few trips to the PLANTs. This, though... This is truly where home is."

Kira made a noncommittal grunt in reply, and then they were at a blank rock face. Neither Coordinator was surprised when it slid aside, revealing an elevator, which Kira guided the Strike onto. "Here we go, I guess."

"Yeah; Morgenroete's secret projects' facility. I was only here once or twice, but I know the people pretty well."

What followed was a long descent, which told Kira the facility went very deep underground. _They must be serious about keeping secrets._

At the bottom, a mobile suit rack was waiting to move the Strike, and two people stood waiting for the pilots. Kira unstrapped, opened the hatch, and lowered himself; Snake simply released his magnetic hold and jumped, landing as softly as a cat on the metal floor.

Cagalli and a woman in a Morgenroete engineer's uniform were waiting for them. "So you're the pilots I was told to expect?" the woman asked.

Kira nodded. "Right. I'm Ensign Kira Yamato, this is Ensign Victor Tremaine. We're both Earth Forces."

Kevin raised a hand. "The alias isn't necessary here, Kira." He pulled off his sunglasses. "Been a long time, Erica. Remember me?"

Erica Simmons cocked her head. "You seem familiar, but I'm afraid I can't place you."

He smiled. "Think back about three or four years, remove the scar, and add a rapier."

Simmons' eyes widened. "Lord Onishi? I heard you were dead. Excuse me, _Baron _Onishi You were supposed to have died two years ago, after being missing for a year."

"Long story, Erica. And please, don't call me Onishi." Kevin grimaced. "You don't have to call me Baron, either; these days, I settle for Snake Walker. That's a long story, too."

"_Very_ long," Cagalli assured her. "Come on, Kevin."

Simmons nodded, with an odd smile. "Yes, follow me; I suspect you'll find this interesting."

The Coordinators followed the princess and the engineer through a large metal door, where they came face-to-face with several mobile suits, white with red trim, standing along the far wall. "What are these?" Kira asked softly.

"The M1 Astray," Erica told him. "Orb's new mobile suits, and the reason we need your help. The project was running well, until we ran into the same problem the Earth Forces did: the Operating System is just too complex for a Natural to handle. We need a Coordinator, particularly one who's flown a G-weapon and has a technical education, to help us design an OS suitable for Naturals."

"What is Orb going to do with them?"

"They're to be Orb's protectors," Cagalli answered. "You know this, don't you? Orb will not attack another nation, and will not allow another nation to attack them." She nodded at the motionless Astrays. "This gives us the power to guarantee that."

"Right," Simmons agreed. "That's why we need to make them better, more along the lines of your Strike's capabilities."

Throughout, Kevin had been silent, for his gaze had been drawn to another mobile suit in the hanger. It was conspicuous by its very lack of color, standing in the corner.

Simmons noted his interest, smiled, and hit a remote control. Instantly, color flowed over it in the distinctive effect of phase-shift armor, transforming it into a machine largely of white, with a mostly blue torso, and blue trim on its graceful wings and red and gold trim over the rest of it.

The brilliant machine carried a double-barreled rifle in one hand and a shield in the other, and some variety of machine cannons were concealed in the shoulders, along with vulcans on the wings; everything about it seemed predatory.

Kevin stared at the glorious weapon in awe. "What is that?"

Erica Simmons smiled broadly. "That is the most powerful piece of machinery Morgenroete has ever produced."

* * *

Author's note: Punisher has been shot down, Kevin Walker has gotten himself killed again (briefly), and he has returned to Orb at last. With the secret of his identity out, how many other secrets remain to be revealed? 

Sorry for the short chapter; and I'm afraid the next one is shorter yet. I will try to update quickly to compensate.

And yes, by the way, that _is_ supposed to be Heero Yuy's Wing Zero (the original, not the Custom; that will have its place much later in Kevin Walker's saga). Some details have been changed, of course; some to fit the parameters of the story, others simply because I only saw a few episodes of Gundam Wing, and that was about five years ago. So don't be surprised if things are a little different from what you might expect.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, as you can see from above, Kevin has his new mobile suit; I hope my choice does not disappoint. By the way, more of his… uneasy past with Lord Uzumi will be revealed in the next couple of chapters.

Darkdragon24, thanks for the info; that's about what I expected, and your reasoning is nearly identical to mine, as it happens. Fortunately, I already have a few thoughts about how to work around it in the sequel.

Rejected Angel, I am pleased you approve. Kevin Walker is certainly the most _complicated_ OC I've ever written (possibly the most complicated I've ever run across).

RVD: is now soon enough for an update?

Shinji Ikari, I'm glad you liked Chapter 16. It's certainly not the longest -believe me, there may be a couple of short chapters here, but they're definitely exceptions- but I enjoyed writing it.

As for Kevin's "deepest secret", what I meant was it being revealed to the _crew_, not the readers; and it's only his greatest secret as far as _he_ knows; there are even greater revelations about him waiting in the wings.

Regarding the capabilities of the Destroyers -how Kevin can survive much greater injury than his fellows- I thought I'd made that clear before, but perhaps it was another thing that got lost in the rewrite. Anyway, it's established at some point that the capabilities of the Destroyers' augmentation varied, with their leader naturally getting the top-of-the-line package. The limitations of the nanomachines is pretty much what one would expect: they can restore extensive damage… but not if it's suddenly, instantly catastrophic. It's also not intended to deal with truly heavy weapons, as is demonstrated in a later encounter with one of Kevin's copies. You'll see what I mean.

It's certainly true that without having his unique combination of abilities active at the same time -i.e. augmentation, zoanthrope abilities, and SEED Factor- he would probably have been the killed, instead of the killer, when he cut loose in the lab. _Without_ certain of those advantages, even a single Destroyer can give him trouble, as seen in Chapter 14 and the later battle.

Glad you liked the fight between Kevin and Athrun. Originally, it was shorter; but it occurred to me that Athrun would probably last at _least_, oh, say… thirty seconds. But, of course, the Destroyer was a foe he couldn't truly match.

The "See you on the battlefield!" line, as you may have noticed, was a quote of his mentor, Andrew Waltfeld; given the earlier remarks by both Kevin and Cagalli, it seemed to fit; and his line about wanting to personally kill Athrun fits quite well with his prior history.

By the way, I didn't think you were criticizing about the vengeance thing; I apologize if I gave that impression. I was merely making my own comments on the matter, nothing more.

You should find, by the time you read this, that the error in Chapter 15 has been corrected; you're right that it wouldn't take very long… I hope.

About Phase 45: as I remember it, what Rau said was that Kira and his father were the highest priority targets for Blue Cosmos; I don't remember him saying anything about Blue Cosmos _creating_ Coordinators; and everything the website says seems to invalidate the idea. I suppose it's possible that the dialogue is different in the DVD version, but if not, I see no evidence to support that notion (at least within the first series). And from what I gather, the company behind Mendel facility was known as Genetic Advanced Reproduction Medical Research and Development; and also, the website mentions Blue Cosmos involvement being rumored in the biohazard to begin with. If it _were_ their facility, I would think they'd simply shut it down when they had a change of heart, not attack it.

Believe me, what you've heard about Hideo Kojima and complicated plots is all true; and my comparison is _entirely_ apt.

I _think_ that's everything. Let me know how this chapter was. -Solid Shark


	18. Chapter 18: Gathering Storm

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Kevin was simply awestruck by the winged mobile suit that stood before him. "The most powerful piece of machinery...?" he echoed. "Erica, what _is_ it?" 

"That," Simmons replied with quiet pride, "is the MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke."

"Stormhawk," he translated softly.

"It was designed and constructed four years ago," she went on. "By the late Baron Onishi. Your father. He was the most brilliant design engineer Morgenroete ever had."

Snake glanced at her. "So there was more to him than politics after all," he murmured, somehow not surprised. "I never saw that side of him."

"Well, he gave up the engineering side after the M1000 project was canceled." Simmons shrugged. "He wasn't too happy when the M1 Astray beat out this design, but while I can't blame him, I can see their point. The materials it's made of are so rare, and the machine costs so much, that it simply isn't practical to mass-produce. So this prototype was built, then immediately put into storage. Some were frightened by its sheer power and advanced technology."

"Advanced technology... Erica, just what makes this thing so different? And why was it pulled out of storage?"

"To answer your second question first," she replied with a smile, "Miss Cagalli mentioned the heir to John Tyler Onishi needed a mobile suit, so naturally we went to the Baron's old design and reactivated it, and added phase-shift armor."

"Phase shift?" Kevin was perplexed. "I'd heard Orb hadn't managed to duplicate it. How...?"

"The phase-shift module was one of the pieces we recovered from the Punisher," Cagalli said. "I arranged for it to be brought here this morning."

"Incredible..." Kira murmured beside him.

"Now, you asked about its technology. Well," Simmons began, "just about _everything_ is more advanced than anything else. The alloy it's made from, for example, is a radar-absorbent material that can only be made in zero-gravity; that's why it's so rare. It's also light-weight, making this barely a tenth the weight of, say, the Aegis. The Aegis weighs in at 79 tons; this is only 8."

"And the weaponry?" Snake pointed at the double-barreled rifle. "Some new kind of beam rifle?"

"Not exactly. That's actually two weapons, connected to form a more powerful variant. Singularly, they're called buster rifles, and their power is comparable to a hyper-impulse cannon." She pointed. "Connected as they are now, they form a beam cannon, whose power is nearly comparable to a positron blaster cannon."

His face registered shock; a positron blaster cannon was an _antimatter_ weapon. The only ship he knew of that carried them was the _Archangel_, and the thought of something the size of a _mobile suit_ having that kind of firepower... "Is that it?" he said, when he regained control of his vocal apparatus.

"No, there's more. For instance, mounted in its shoulders are a pair of beam sabers, also more powerful than standard. There are also machine cannons in the shoulders -they lift open when in use- and vulcans on the wings; the Stormhawk is a thoroughly lethal machine." Simmons motioned for the two Coordinators to follow her over, stopping at the Sturm Falke's feet. "Another thing that makes Stormhawk a complex weapon is the fact that, like the X300 frames, it's transformable. It can fly in mobile suit mode, true, but in its secondary mobile armor mode, it can reach speeds of upwards of Mach 10, and fly in and out of atmosphere on its own."

Cagalli, too, was hearing most of this for the first time. "And they shelved the design?" she said incredulously. "This is more powerful than any other weapon in existence!"

"It's also far more complex, and far more expensive, Miss Cagalli. But even that isn't all of it." Erica's face assumed a peculiar expression. "The one time this was flown, the test pilot was nearly driven insane by something called the 'Zero System'. After recovering, he reported having seen 'visions', among them his own death in a ball of fire." She shook her head. "Baron, we truly have no idea what the Zero System does, or how it does it. The only man who understood it was your father, and we can't exactly ask him, now can we? If you fly this thing, I strongly recommend that you _not_ activate the Zero System."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kevin said, staring at the mobile suit. _But I _will_ discover its purpose,_ he told himself. _My father designed this weapon, and if he created the Zero System, he did so for a reason._

Erica continued, unaware of the young man's thought. "So, Baron. I need to get Kira here up to speed on what he's to be doing. While we're doing that, care to take it for a test drive? I'm sure Miss Cagalli can keep an eye on things."

"Just try and stop me," Snake said. He could hardly wait to strap on this piece of mechanical perfection.

Simmons motioned for him to climb aboard. "There's a test area set up for you already; Stormhawk will be moved there once you're aboard. Miss Cagalli, you can observe from the control room." She walked away, Kira in tow. "By the way," she said over her shoulder, "I'd appreciate it if you don't try out the beam cannon in here; the walls are treated with anti-beam coating, but I doubt they'd stand up to something that powerful."

* * *

Snake settled into the pilot's seat, examining the cockpit with care as he did so. At first glance, it seemed quite similar to what he'd flown before, with the displays differing mainly in weapon data. He also noted that an additional modification had been made: the Sturm Falke had been designed before the advent of N-jammers, so it carried a nuclear fission generator. Now, it supplemented it with an energy battery with about twice the endurance of a standard unit. 

It took a moment before Kevin noticed another strange device, built into the seat; the controls were labeled "Zero System", with a simple activation switch. The corresponding display on the instrument panel showed what appeared to be the pilot's brainwaves, and he wondered again just what the system was designed to do. _Just what did you have in mind, Father? Why create a system that drives people insane?_ Once more, he promised himself he would learn the secret.

The communication system lit up, projecting a hologram in the air before him. _"Strapped in, Kevin?"_ Cagalli asked.

"Affirmative. Ready to transfer." There was a jolt, and Snake felt the mobile suit being moved, until the display showed a large, open room clearly meant for mobile suit testing. "This is Stormhawk. In position and ready for testing." He gripped the controls. "By the way, this is one fancy radio rig."

_"State-of-the-art, Kevin,"_ she reminded him._ "Just too expensive to mass-produce."_

"Ah, yes, the eternal bane of the professional soldier: government budget oversight." He took another moment to familiarize himself with the controls, then nodded. "Okay; I'm going to start with the basics. Before I do anything fancy, it would help to make sure that it can walk."

For the first few minutes, Snake ran the powerful mobile suit through its paces, making sure none of the joints were sticky or anything. Finally, he nodded in approval. "Whoever reactivated it did a superb job; everything's nice and smooth."

_"Great."_ In the floating screen, Cagalli smiled._ "Now you're going to try the weapons, right?"_

"Da. Got some targets ready?"

She glanced off-screen, then nodded. _"Target drones, with low-powered beam weapons. Since your mobile suit was designed without phase-shift in mind, the basic armor's actually stronger than any of the G-weapons; these won't even burn the paint."_

"Glad to hear it." Kevin armed one of the buster rifles, quite interested in finding out if they were as powerful as promised.

_"Targets entering,"_ another voice, presumably an engineer, said._ "Fire when ready, Baron."_

"Don't call me Baron," he muttered absently, then targeted the rifle on the first drone, waited for a solid lock, and fired. His main display immediately darkened over a small area as a beam, bright blue, as opposed to the standard green, lanced out from the weapon and struck the target, vaporizing it.

_"Cool!"_ the unidentified voice said. It sounded like a teenage girl.

Snake cocked his head. "Who's this?"

_"Oh, sorry."_ A second holographic image appeared, showing a blonde-haired girl in a test pilot uniform._ "I'm Asagi,"_ she said._ "I'm one of the M1 Astray test pilots. It's an honor to meet you, Baron; they still talk about your father's work here."_

"Pleased to meet you," he responded, slipping briefly into his aristocratic persona. "Don't call me Baron, though, okay? You probably know by now that I just spent three years away from Orb, so I'm not used to it and don't like it. I settle for Snake these days."

_"Why don't you two chat _after_ the test?"_ Cagalli said dryly._ "I'm sure you'll get along famously. Care to get on with things?"_

"Of course, Your Highness," Snake said with mock respect. He nodded to Asagi. "I shall look forward to speaking with you later." She nodded back, and her image disappeared. "So. Looks like the guns work as promised. Is there enough room in here for me to test the mobile armor mode?"

Cagalli checked a monitor. _"Barely; don't expect much headroom. It's enough for you to get a feel for it, at least. The test pilot's report says you should brace yourself during transition, by the way."_

"I'll keep that in mind." _Test pilot, right. A pilot who only flew it once and thereafter refused to have anything to do with it._ "Beginning transition."

He hit the appropriate switches, then held on as the entire mobile suit suddenly rearranged itself around him; legs folded, arms moved, the shield turned into a canopy, and the wings snapped into position. The Stormhawk hovered a moment on vertical engines as it extended landing gear, then set down on the floor.

"Whoa." Snake couldn't tell exactly what his craft looked like now, but Cagalli looked impressed. "How's it look?"

She blinked. _"Not much like a mobile suit. Did it land on its own?"_

"Yeah; there's a switch here labeled 'Disable Autolanding'; nice of the designers to remember autopilot's a _bad_ thing in combat." Like most field troops, he had a low opinion of engineers; they built things and tested them, got the bugs out of them, then told the soldiers the weapons were perfected... only to have the soldiers discover perfect in the lab was far different from perfect in the field. "Okay, let's try flying."

Snake quickly discovered flying Stormhawk in mobile armor mode wasn't much different from flying a Skygrasper; a Natural could do it. It was far more responsive, and better armed, but in principle easy to fly. Even in vertical flight, flying like a helicopter, he easily blew the remaining drones away without being touched by their low-powered weapons.

At last, he transformed again, returning to mobile suit mode, and powered down. "I think that's enough for now; besides, I'm running low on power. Tell 'em to get me back to the hanger."

Inwardly, as Snake unstrapped and climbed out of the Sturm Falke, he was exhilarated; outwardly he appeared almost as calm as usual, with his augmentation regulating heart rate and other such factors.

"So, Snake," he heard as he reached the floor. "How was it?"

Somehow he wasn't surprised to see Ramius and La Flaga coming toward him. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the best mobile suit in the world," he replied. "And just how many people knew about this before I did?"

La Flaga grinned. "Well, let's see. Cagalli needed the Captain's authorization to get Punisher's remains moved, and I happened to be in the same room; Murdoch and his people loaded the pieces, Crewman Koenig did the transport, Crewman Allster did the paperwork, and Crewman Haw entered the transponder codes and heat signature into the _Archangel_'s computers. In fact, just about everybody knew, as of this morning, except you and Kira."

"Figures." Snake muttered something Russian under his breath, probably obscene. "Well, it should give ZAFT pause when next we meet."

"In more ways than one," Ramius said. She smiled. "Orb has intercepted radio traffic, and it seems ZAFT believes you to be dead. They'll be expecting us to be short a pilot." Motion caught her eye, and she nodded to Snake. "I believe there are some people who'd like to speak with you, Ensign. We'll leave you to it."

He raised an eyebrow as they left, then turned and saw three female test pilots coming toward him, one of them the girl he'd spoken to earlier. Snake tucked his helmet under his arm, straightened, and saluted.

The three returned it, somewhat sloppily. "I'm Asagi Caldwell," the first said, introducing herself more fully.

"Juri Wu Nien," said the second, a dark-haired girl with glasses.

"And I'm Mayura Labatt," the third, a girl with short red hair, finished.

Snake shook their hands. "Baron Kevin Onishi," he said in turn. "But these days I go by Kevin Walker, and my friends call me Snake."

"An honor to meet you, Baron- uh, Snake," Mayura said. "Your father was a legend here, with his brilliant work."

No one would have known it by looking at him, but inside, Kevin was quite nonplused by the attention; over the past three years, he'd lived and fought anonymously, with none knowing his true identity. Now, to have people actually being _honored_ to meet him...

"Thank you," he managed. "I'm afraid, though, that I had no idea about my father's work until about an hour ago. I knew he was an important Morgenroete executive, but I never knew he was an engineer."

"The best," Asagi assured him. "He got out of the theoretical side years ago, when the M1000 project was terminated, which I guess is why you never knew about it. But he helped get the M1 program as far as it has. The only problem was..."

"The OS," Juri finished for her. "Since the late Baron wasn't a Coordinator, he had no more success than anyone else in creating an OS a Natural could use. That's why we need you and the Strike's pilot."

Snake shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, I'll certainly do my best, but I have to say I didn't inherit Dad's engineering talents. It's been a few years, so Orb may have forgotten, but I used to be a fencer; my strengths are on the battlefield, not the laboratory. I was enrolled in a technical college on Heliopolis for a year, sure, but I must admit I was more interested in building a better bomb than actual design work."

Mayura cocked her head. "Had a rough few years?"

"You could say that." He laughed quietly. "If I survive this war, maybe I'll write my memoirs. But they wouldn't exactly be for the faint of heart. The tale of a cybernetically-augmented super-soldier created by ZAFT, chased across the globe and the colonies by Blue Cosmos, ZAFT assassins, and a third party who wants me dead for yet another reason." Snake half-smiled. "As it happens, I'm the person Blue Cosmos wants dead more than any other. Remind me to tell you sometime about the true Crimson Tiger."

Evidently they'd already heard some of the tale, since they didn't even blink, but Asagi glanced about as if checking for eavesdroppers. "By the way, Baron, about your, uh, augmentation... There are rumors you're wanted here for more than just programming." She lowered her voice. "They say Morgenroete wants you in order to test the Zero System. Since you're already connected to a computer system..."

He froze, eyes turning to jade ice and momentarily frightening the pilots (Cagalli had once told him he could scare a grizzly to death with that look). Then they warmed. "I see," Kevin said finally. "Thanks for the warning; I'll keep it in mind." He smiled again; these three pilots, while a little too perky for his taste, were quite likable, and for once he felt like telling war stories. Nothing too nasty, of course; none of the darker tales that would warp young minds not already warped by trial by fire. "Actually, that reminds me of the last time I ignored a warning. I made the mistake of flying a mobile suit I'd been told wouldn't survive the battle, and..."

* * *

Some days later, Kevin entered the Morgenroete hanger in flight gear once more, preparing for another round of tests. So far, the M1000 had performed brilliantly, above and beyond all expectations; the only negative factor they'd discovered was essentially insoluble: if fired in beam cannon mode, the Sturm Falke's primary weapon would drain the mobile suit's energy battery dry after just three shots. It was a weapon of last resort. 

He sensed something different about this test the moment he walked into the hanger, and that was confirmed when Cagalli walked over to him, a worried expression on her face. "Something wrong, tovarisch?" he asked.

She held up a clipboard with the test schedule. "They want you to test the Zero System. I thought Simmons said it wasn't safe."

"So she did." Snake shrugged. "It's not exactly unexpected; Asagi warned me they were planning this the first day I got here."

"But it could drive you mad!" Cagalli protested. "What good would that do you? It's too risky!"

"Cagalli, you're talking to a man who once tried to blow himself to atoms with a fusion bomb," he said dryly. "Don't talk to me about risk."

"And if it does drive you insane?" she challenged. "Then what?"

"Then Kira becomes the _Archangel_'s only hope of reaching Alaska." Kevin smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, mon ami. I'll be fine."

"You'd better be," Cagalli muttered as he climbed aboard the Stormhawk. "Or I'll never speak to you again."

Soon, Snake was ensconced in the Stormhawk's cockpit in the test area. "Stormhawk here. All systems green. Ready for Zero System activation."

_"You're sure about this?"_ Cagalli still looked concerned._ "If anything happens, I'm going to shut it down from here."_

"No, you're not," he replied sharply. "Not right away. I expect there'll be a period of adjustment, till I figure out just what the computer's trying to tell me, but I _will_ figure it out. Just give me a minute or two."

_"You'd better be right."_ She glared._ "Okay, try it."_

"Activating system." Taking a deep breath, Snake flipped the switch. And the cockpit around him vanished, leaving only himself and his flight controls.

Instead, he saw a mind-boggling view of the world around him, as seen from all angles. His mind twisted into a pretzel as he tried to make sense of it, and he dimly realized he was screaming. Then it got even worse, as he saw everything moving, over and over, always starting from the same point but taking a different path each time.

Then Snake saw his own past, the way things would have happened had some little thing been just slightly different. He saw himself on a shuttle, crushed by G-forces with his parents; vaporized in the destruction of Junius Seven; burned up on reentry after the Eighth Fleet's destruction; torn in half by his own brother in Banadiya; and finally, the way things would have been had he succeeded in destroyed himself two and a half years earlier.

Then he was back in the present, slumped in his seat. He became aware of Cagalli shouting at him. _"Kevin! Kevin, answer me! Are you okay? I'm shutting it down!"_

"No," Snake croaked; he realized his throat was raw from the screaming. "No," he repeated. "I'm okay. I think I figured it out."

_"Well, that's a relief,"_ she said, sarcasm resurfacing now that he was clearly sane._ "At least you got the test done. So what is it? Some crazy radio system?"_

Kevin smiled. "Send in some target drones, and set them to random fire. If I'm right, this should be interesting."

"Uh, okay; activating drones."

In the control room, Cagalli stared at the Stormhawk, wondering just what her old friend had in mind. Random fire... and he was just standing there.

Then the drones opened fire, and the Stormhawk _moved_; every time a beam was fired, the mobile suit was already somewhere else, and after a few seconds of dodging, Snake opened fire, vaporizing everything in moments. _"Stormhawk; test concluded. I think we got what we were looking for, tovarisch."_

* * *

Cagalli met Kevin in the hanger. "Okay, Kevin. Just what were you doing? What is the Zero System?" 

He smiled. "As near as I can tell, it feeds tactical information directly into the pilot's mind, giving him a far better view of the tactical situation than anyone else. That's what caused the initial disorientation. But what's more interesting is this: I dodged those beams because I could tell where they were going to be before they were fired."

She gaped. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a system that predicts the next few seconds of battle with uncanny accuracy. It's not perfect, but- Cagalli, that machine is psychic! It takes tactical data, processes it faster than just about any other computer on the planet, and shows the pilot what it thinks is going to happen next."

Cagalli would have been skeptical, had it been anyone else and had she not seen the results for herself. Still... "But that's crazy."

Snake smiled again. "So was my father, apparently. It works, though." Then he frowned. "But I do wonder just what he had in mind, creating a system that only a few can use without going completely insane; it wasn't like him to do something so... risky."

"Check his papers," she suggested. "The mansion is still undisturbed; if he left anything behind, it would be there, right?"

He nodded. "You're right. Tomorrow, after I get off-duty, I'll check things out. There's something going on that I'm missing."

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has received his new mobile suit, and soon he will visit his old home for the first time in years. What will occur there? 

A really short chapter, I know; and quite possibly not a very good one. Purely filler, since I managed to miss Phase 27; but the next chapter, I daresay, is considerably better.

DarkReader, I presume there was a web address in your review, which simply didn't show up; if it was the official website, I'm already using it for reference. Very useful.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, the meeting between Kevin and Uzumi is actually in the _next_ chapter; but believe me, it will be… interesting, particularly given certain other revelations before that in the chapter.

And no, Falcon's sister is not a Coordinator; this is not a surprise, considering certain plot twists early on.

Shinji Ikari, I take your point regarding the delay in Kevin entering the battle; I thought it rather weak myself but was in desperate need of a plot device. You will notice it has been replaced.

Now, before I begin speaking of your other points, I must say this: I will be making some changes to that chapter, certainly, but we seem to have run into a definite difference of opinion here. I shall elaborate.

First, yes, Cagalli would be in shock at that point, as one might expect. As for Kira, however… This is a different situation from Tolle's death. In the first place, when Tolle died Kira had exactly one target to worry about. In _this_ situation, he is considerably busier. Thus, consider this: a soldier -which Kira himself admits he is by then- _has_ to put aside things like grief during battle, or he dies. Without a degree of emotional detachment, you get distracted and you get dead. Again, Tolle was a different situation; at that moment, he wasn't trying to defend the ship directly, he was trying to blast his friend to pieces. Under most circumstances, like the events of Phase 25, he would not have the luxury of that reaction.

As for _Athrun's_ reaction, I should point out that he, unlike Kira, knows _precisely_ what Kevin is capable of, and thus would be much less convinced of Kevin's death.

And personally, I just don't see the experience having quite _that_ much of an effect on Kira afterwards; I might point out that, from what I can tell, Kira never actually thinks Athrun is dead. What he's broken up about is that the confrontation happened in the first place, that he tried his best to kill him.

Regardless, while I am going to make a few slight alterations to that chapter, I do not personally see the need to do anything major. I am sorry if you disagree, but that is the way it will be done.

Regarding the length of chapters: I didn't say it was rushed, I just said it was short. Admittedly, neither Chapter 17 nor 18 were my best, but I don't think they were _that_ bad. Well, maybe Chapter 18. In any case, not every chapter is going to be perfect, but I think the remaining chapters will be much better.

Anyway, it's not rushed, merely short.

As for Mu not realizing who is speaking, he _does_ think their one Russian speaker is dead about then. I daresay one has a little trouble recognizing someone's voice when one thinks the person in question is dead.

Point taken, I will grant, regarding Cagalli's lack of reaction to Kevin's appearance on the Bridge. That will be altered.

Point also taken about Kevin turning up in noble garb; that will be explained in Chapter 19.

One last point: I am afraid you may have misinterpreted earlier author's notes, because I went back and checked and nowhere do I say that Kevin will be getting yet another machine later. It _is_ mentioned that he will eventually upgrade to the Custom, though that won't be till _much_ later in his saga, but I never said he would switch to another mobile suit later. His current machine will be upgraded somewhat later, but that's it.

Hm. Only a single hour to write the notes; not bad. At any rate, let me know if this chapter was as bad -relatively speaking- as I think it was. -Solid Shark


	19. Chapter 19: Shades of Memory

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Baron Kevin Onishi stepped out of the hidden tunnel into his old home with a feeling of nostalgia. It had been nearly four years since he'd set foot in the mansion, and it seemed as if he were stepping into another time. The oak furnishings, the high-ceilinged rooms, everything seemed just as it had the day he left for his final semester in Copernicus, before it all began. 

Snake walked carefully into the foyer the tunnel connected to, the grand room which also had the massive front door, feeling as if a loud step would bring everything crashing down on him. Silent as a tomb, and he was the only living soul within.

"Well, I'm home," he said to the ghosts of the past that haunted this place. "It took me awhile, but I'm home." Something that could not be said of his parents, who would never return to this house again; Kevin felt anew their loss. Then, shaking it off, he began to prowl the silent building, checking every room.

He eventually found himself back in the entrance foyer, having satisfied himself nothing had changed, and that he was alone. But that suddenly changed, as the hidden tunnel door swung open again, admitting his old friend Kira.

"Kira," Kevin said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Kira, dressed in civilian clothing, noted that the Snake was again wearing his usual black civilian getup; apparently, he'd worn the noble outfit on the day of their arrival simply to make a point, and refused to wear it again. "Cagalli said you were here, and told me how to get here. I... wanted to talk to you. About..." he indicated the mansion around them. "About all this. You never told me who you really are."

Kevin nodded slowly. "I figured we'd be having this conversation sooner or later." He turned to a bookcase set against the wall. "Come with me."

Bemused, his fellow Coordinator followed him to the bookcase, which they stepped right through, finding themselves in another oak-paneled chamber, apparently some kind of anteroom. "Hologram?" he asked, glancing back at the seemingly solid wall they'd come through.

"That's right. Just enough to keep the casual eye from noticing this place." Snake walked over to a heavy oak double-door at the other end of the room; it had a palm-print scanner beside it, along with a microphone and what appeared to be a retinal scanner. Without hesitation, he placed his right hand on one scanner, presented his eye to the other, and spoke directly to the microphone. "Una salus victus nullam sperare salutem."

"Confirmed," a disembodied voice said. "The one hope of the doomed is not to hope for safety. Welcome, Baron."

The oak doors opened, and Kira followed his friend into the inner room. Inside, he gasped; it was like stepping into the past. Aside from a computer on a massive oak desk and the locking mechanisms, there was not one item of modern technology in the room, not even any way of announcing visitors.

Kevin apparently deduced his thoughts. "No, there's no form of communications in here, Kira. No visitors to announce. You see, that door will only admit two people, and I never saw the need to announce Cagalli." He nodded at the huge room. "My parents and I had an understanding: only I, and those I specifically designated, could enter my study. Even they stayed out. So this... was my refuge."

Kira could see that. Like the rest of the manor, it was furnished all in dark oak, with a four-meter-high ceiling, the huge desk, numerous armchairs, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookcases, and several weapons racks and cases. The most modern items he could see were a couple of rifles on the walls and a large case full of handguns.

"Go ahead, take a look around, then pick a chair," Snake said, striding to a sword that hung over his desk. It was a long, elegant rapier, which he carefully lifted and drew from the scabbard. "Ah, my old blade. I won many a match with you, didn't I?" He sheathed it and carefully clipped it to his belt. "The blade I wore earlier was good, but a mere copy. _This_ is an antique, more than three centuries old. I used it in live-blade matches."

"You really grew up here?" Kira sounded almost reverent. "And did you read all these books?"

"Every single one." He smiled, settling into a chair. "I'm afraid you won't find Homer and his ilk there; I acknowledge the_ Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_ are indeed classics, but the style bores me out of my mind." Kevin motioned for Kira to sit. "So. I believe you had some questions for me."

Kira nodded, lowering himself into another obviously antique chair. "Yeah. I mean, all the time I've known you, you never mentioned that you were born to... this. What was it like, growing up this way?"

"I'll tell you. It's time you knew the whole truth, tovarisch." Kevin looked toward the ceiling. "But it's a long tale, and I'm not sure where to begin."

"Well, I've always wondered why you were so obsessive about keeping your zoanthrope powers a secret," Kira said. "Why is that?"

"Ah, of course." Snake smiled. "Then we truly start at the beginning. It's simple enough, really. You know about Busuzima and his kind, and how we zoanthropes were persecuted and hunted."

"Busuzima?"

He frowned. "You've never heard of the ZLF?"

Kira shrugged, bemused. "Should I have?"

"I suppose not; it's just... the time of Tylon and the ZLF is the zoanthrope Dark Ages, the time that's become almost a racial memory." Kevin leaned back in his chair. "Alright, let's start at the very beginning. Throughout human history, there have always been a few zoanthropes in each generation. Never very many, but it's believed that wolfish members started the werewolf myths, and the bats among us were thought vampires. But eventually, the Tylon Corporation discovered our potential. I'm not sure, nobody's sure, really, when this was; the Reconstruction War destroyed a lot of records. But a century or two ago, Tylon realized that the potential lay within all of us, even you, Kira. With a little gene therapy, any human could 'unleash the beast within', could become a zoanthrope. Unfortunately, they didn't stop there. I won't go into the experiments they performed, other than a clone they created of Long the Tiger, but it was quite horrific. Finally, a few zoanthropes, acting independently, put a stop to Tylon. Bakuryu the Mole, Yugo Ohgami the Wolf, Alice the Rabbit, Alan Gado the Lion, and others, they destroyed Tylon. But..."

"But?" Kira prompted.

Snake sighed. "They drew attention to their existence, and people, rational people familiar with the scientific method, feared and envied us, and began to discriminate against and persecute us. Distinctions of color were forgotten as humanity united against zoanthropes. In the midst of all this, the Zoanthrope Liberation Front was formed, apparently a beacon of hope to our kind, a group that would fight for our rights. Instead, they turned out to be as bad as Tylon, and in fact had former members of that corporation among them. One of them was Doctor Busuzima, who turned Doctor Steven Goldberg, a fellow zoanthrope researcher, into the unstable insect zoanthrope Stun, who needed a specially synthesized hormone to survive." He shuddered. "It was up to the zoanthropes who defeated Tylon, with a couple of additions, to stop the ZLF, and stop it they did. Alan Gado, with the aid of Yugo Ohgami's new organization, managed to largely end the witch hunts. But to this day, zoanthropes fear to reveal themselves, with the memory of Tylon and the ZLF always in mind."

Kira nodded in understanding; he'd heard some of this history before, but it seemed only the zoanthropes themselves still recalled much about the period. "So how does that lead to you?"

Kevin smiled. "Well, that takes us to C.E. 54, the year before the Torino Protocol banned genetic engineering. May 18, in fact, the day I was born. And, yes, the day Cagalli was born. Interesting coincidence, eh?"

Kira blinked. "I was born that day, too."

"Strange." Snake shrugged it off. "Like I said, coincidence. Anyway, it seems that the genetic engineering that made me a Coordinator also triggered my latent zoanthrope genes, since to my knowledge I have no zoanthrope ancestors." He raised an eyebrow. "And _that_ brings us back to the original question: who am I. Well, as you now know, I grew up as the son of Baron John Tyler Onishi (our names, by the way, come from a paternal grandmother from North America), and a good friend of Cagalli. I was literally closer to her than to my parents. At six, of course, I was sent to Copernicus for schooling, which is how I met you and Athrun. I visited Earth frequently, spending more time with Cagalli than my family, and eventually I grew to hate my high-born status. That led to the construction of this room, where I could get away from all that."

"And you were a fencer?"

"Right." Kevin smiled wistfully. "You know, that was the only career I ever truly loved. I am a very skilled soldier, but fencing was what I enjoyed. And so I did... until three years ago. I was sent to the PLANTs ahead of my parents, for one last diplomatic mission, and then they died; three days later, I was kidnapped by ZAFT and put into the ABADDON Program."

Kira cocked his head. "ABADDON? That's what gave you your augmentation, right? Commander La Flaga told me about it."

"Right. La Flaga doesn't know the whole story, though, and if you don't mind, I'll skip that part; the memories are still too fresh, too horrifying." Snake shuddered. "As I was saying, six months after I was kidnapped, I made my escape, destroying everything in the process. Just how I survived a fusion bomb, I may never know. The important thing is, I had no idea who I was; it took me years to recover everything, and I'm still not sure I have." He shrugged. "Beyond that, you know what I was up to, until the day I arrived on Heliopolis, and from there on you saw it first hand."

"Yeah." Kira hesitated, wondering he would even survive bringing up a certain subject. "One thing, though, Kevin. You and Cagalli...?"

Kevin grimaced. "Ah. Those rumors. Kira, Cagalli and I grew up together, to be sure. We're closer than siblings, yes. But those dratted rumors... It's not the first time. Back when I still lived here, it was commonly thought in the Orb aristocracy that I'd be Cagalli's consort, once we were old enough. That... that blatant assumption was something we both resented, but it was there anyway. It's probably another reason Lord Uzumi hates my guts." He slowly shook his head. "No, Kira, those rumors are groundless. She's just a close friend, that's all."

The other pilot looked at him for a moment, then shook his own head. "No, that's not all, is it, Kevin?"

Snake froze, surprised, then slowly nodded. "Okay, Kira. You deserve the truth, after all the lies." He took a deep breath. "Yes, Kira. I love her. Very much. But... she deserves better than me."

Somehow, Kira wasn't surprised by the admission. But that last... "What do you mean?"

"People who get close to me get _hurt_, Kira!" Kevin was suddenly up and pacing in agitation. "And one day, even I'll die. One day, the Grim Reaper will catch up with me, somebody'll get lucky, and I'll die. And _stay_ dead. I will _not_ have her go through that!" He breathed deeply. "I am what I am, Kira. I am, by training, an assassin, and I am very, very good at it. The only trade for me is war, and one thing I am _not_ is a hero. If anything, I'm a monster, and Cagalli deserves far better than that." He turned to face the wall.

_A monster? No way-_ But before Kira could protest, Kevin went on.

"And besides, Lord Uzumi would never allow it."

"He wouldn't?" Kira wasn't exactly sure how Athha could _stop_ his daughter, if she so decided.

"Just who do you think had me killed, two years ago?" Kevin asked softly. "Who do you think hired that sniper? It wasn't ZAFT, and it wasn't Blue Cosmos."

His friend was literally shocked speechless. The idea that Lord Uzumi Nara Athha, Orb's Chief Representative, would actually go so far as to hire an assassin, especially to kill his daughter's closest friend...!

"I don't know why he did it," Snake went on. "I imagine part of it was the fact that he never liked having me anywhere near Cagalli, but that seems a bit extreme to me. I'm just lucky I don't seem to stay dead."

Kira shook himself. "Are you sure about this?"

Kevin nodded. "Oh, yeah. Remember that disc Andy Waltfeld gave me? That had the location of my target, CARDINAL, but it also contained the true identity of the person who wanted me dead in Orb. Now, I knew Andy very well; he wouldn't have given me that data if he wasn't absolutely certain it was accurate." He resumed pacing. "Now you know why I don't want my survival to be widely known yet. I intend to deliver _that_ news personally."

"Have you told Cagalli?"

He laughed humorlessly. "Of course not. How do you think she'd react, learning that her father had me killed? Kira, the mixed loyalties could destroy her, and I won't be responsible for that." With a sigh, he shrugged. "Who knows, maybe I'll even reach an... accommodation... with Lord Uzumi. Maybe." His expression turned grim. "One thing's for bloody sure: he'll never get another chance at it. I know what's going on, who's the real threat. I'll be watching for any backstabbing. Believe it."

Meeting that frozen-jade gaze, Kira most assuredly _did_ believe it. He'd seen Kevin Walker in many a battle now, in the air and on the ground, and only once had he seen him so much as touched, when an RPG hit him in the chest. "If you do meet Chief Representative Athha, what'll you do?"

"Talk," Kevin said coldly. "Usually, I can scare people into leaving me alone. If not..." He noted Kira's mildly horrified expression, and his eyes warmed slightly. "Oh, don't worry, Kira. I wouldn't harm Athha himself; he's harmless, physically. Anybody he decides to send after me, though..." He shrugged. "But I don't honestly think that's very likely; the sheer shock of seeing me alive, and the knowledge that I simply came back from the dead, should be enough to make him realize hunting me is suicidal, and futile."

His expression smoothed abruptly as the door behind them opened, admitting Cagalli. "Hey, Kevin, Kira," she said, walking in. "I thought I'd find you here."

Kevin smiled, no trace of his anger remaining. "Hi, tovarisch. I was just explaining my somewhat... colorful history to Kira."

Kira noted he made no mention of what they'd just been speaking of, and that his friend seemed far more cheerful when Cagalli was around. "Isn't it a little unusual for you to be visiting a place like this?" he wondered aloud.

She snorted. "Hardly. I used to be in here all the time, when Kevin still lived here in Orb." She glanced nostalgically around the elegant room. "It's been a few years, though."

"Too many, tovarisch," Kevin said. "It's been far too long since I could relax here with a friend, or relax at all, for that matter."

Cagalli nodded with a smile. "Oh, by the way," she said, with a slight frown. "My father wants to speak with 'Ensign Tremaine'. He's at the Morgenroete facility now."

Snake went slightly cold, though he allowed no trace of it to show. "I see," he said finally. "Give me a minute; I'll be there shortly." He was already donning his sunglasses.

* * *

Uzumi Nara Athha waited patiently in a secure office in the Morgenroete factory; he was quite curious about this 'Tremaine', the one who had apparently been responsible for protecting his daughter on an island in the Indian Ocean. 

The door finally slid open, and a young man in black, with a black flight jacket, sheathed Bowie knife, holstered revolver, and sunglasses stepped in. As usual, it was his wicked facial scar that drew first attention. "You wanted to see me, Lord Uzumi?" he said, with a North American accent.

Athha nodded. "You are Ensign Victor Tremaine?" As the young man nodded silently, he noted that the pilot apparently disdained uniforms. "I understand you are responsible for rescuing my daughter in the Indian Ocean." Another silent nod. "I thank you for that, and your actions just before entering our territory. I'm told you were nearly killed in the attempt."

"Nearly." It took all his skill to hold the accent, especially after returning to Orb. "I have had worse, Lord Uzumi. Much worse. Such is the soldier's life."

"Yes, I would imagine." Athha nodded at 'Tremaine'. "I would like to reward you for your help."

To his surprise, the ensign laughed, a low chuckle that seemed composed of amusement and a sense of irony. "I don't need your money, Lord Uzumi," he said, one hand reaching for his sunglasses. "And I think you'll want to reconsider that offer... once you know who I really am." He removed the sunglasses.

Athha frowned, wondering where he had seen that face before, and then he recalled a young heir to a barony, a fencer whose face matched this one in all detail but the scar. The realization was enough to rattle even him. "But you... you're dead. You've been dead for two years."

The Baron shook his head in mixed amusement and anger. "No, Lord Uzumi. I'm anything but dead. Your hired assassin wasn't quite good enough."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't try to deny it, My Lord. I have all the evidence I need to be convinced it was you who hired him." He smiled coldly. "That idiot was, certainly, the best assassin money could buy. The only problem is, there's one assassin money _can't_ buy: me." He shook his head again. "Though I must say, it took a lot of gall for you to arrange my death in front of your own daughter."

"It wasn't supposed to happen that way," Athha said, abandoning the pretense. "I had no idea she would be present."

"But she was." Kevin took a step forward. "How did you intend to explain it to her, Lord Uzumi? Would you have left her thinking that I was still missing, out in the PLANTs?" His jade eyes froze, and Athha was frightened despite himself, caught in that icy regard. "Why did you do it, My Lord? What the devil did I ever do that would warrant killing me? I've never threatened Orb in any way. I'll freely grant I could care less about the government, but this is my homeland. Why on earth did you have me assassinated?"

"Because of what you are," Athha answered, taking a step back. "I know what ZAFT made you, and that put my daughter in danger. What would you have me do, Baron?"

"Put _Cagalli_ in danger?" Kevin was incredulous. "You bloody well know I'd never hurt her!"

"I knew you wouldn't have three years ago," the Chief Representative corrected. "However much I may have disapproved of my daughter's relationship with you. After your experiences at the hands of ZAFT, however, I could no longer be certain." His face hardened. "I knew for a fact that you killed for ZAFT; I knew of your assassinations."

"I was a brainwashed puppet, Lord Uzumi," Snake countered, "and in case you didn't hear, when I regained my senses I blew the project to kingdom come and tried to take myself with it!" He slowly shook his head. "All that time, thinking ZAFT had killed me for being a failed experiment. But it was really you, killing me because I was a _successful_ experiment..." His claws shot out, fifteen centimeters of gleaming death. "You should know, My Lord, that there was no 'relationship' between us. We were, and are, close friends. But that is as far as it goes."

Athha, startled by the sudden appearance of metal claws, edged backwards, reaching slowly for an alarm. "So they did more to you that I thought," he said as a distraction. "You truly are a monster, aren't you?"

Kevin wasn't fooled; his hand strayed near the holstered revolver. "Don't even think it, Lord Uzumi," he said softly. "You would be dead long before you could hurt me. That's a warning, not a threat." His claws retracted. "Relax, Lord Uzumi, please. I have no intention of hurting you. And surely I've proven by now that I won't harm Cagalli. I protected her from that pilot in the Indian Ocean, and a few times before that, in the desert."

The Chief Representative considered that for a time, then finally nodded. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Baron," he said at last. "We may never like each other, but you have proven you mean my daughter no harm. And as she seems to have become somewhat like you even _without_ you influencing her, I suppose you can no longer be considered a bad influence." Athha held out a hand to the younger man. "I might not be entirely pleased with it, but I would not interfere if you became involved with her."

Kevin looked at him a moment, then shook the hand. But he also shook his head. "No, Lord Uzumi. I don't think anything is going to happen between us. That _would_ put her in danger, and I won't do that."

Athha looked curious, but held his peace on the matter. "So, Baron," he said instead. "Will you be leaving with the _Archangel_ when its repairs are complete? Or will you be remaining in Orb, perhaps reviving your fencing career?"

"I'll stay with the ship." Snake smiled coldly. "My mission in life, Lord Uzumi, consists of two objectives: the eradication of Blue Cosmos, and the destruction of ZAFT. Right now, since they seem to be the ones most actively trying to kill me, ZAFT is the primary target. The best way to destroy it and protect my friends at the same time is to stay with the _Archangel_." He turned to leave, then looked back over his shoulder. "And by the way, Lord Uzumi, as to the matter of rewards... Morgenroete has given me all I could want: the perfect weapon to effect my mission."

* * *

A day following Snake's somewhat uneasy truce with Uzumi Nara Athha, Kira sat in the Strike's cockpit, typing code at his usual lightning speed. 

"Wow, I can't believe how fast you're typing." He looked up, and Cagalli, standing on a walkway above him, recognized him. "Oh; I was wondering who was in the Strike, but I guess I should have known it'd be you, Kira."

Kira smiled. "Yeah; they said it would be wise not to wear a military uniform while working here." He cocked his head, smiled becoming slightly teasing. "Listen; isn't it unusual for a real princess to hang out in a place like this?"

"_Excuse_ me," she retorted, right eye half-closing. "And don't call me a princess, or even _think_ of me as one, okay? You don't know how much I _hate_ being called a princess."

Actually, he had some idea of it; he'd heard his good friend Kevin rant on the subject often enough now to know that some high-born people weren't exactly happy with their status and perks. "But now, everything makes sense," he said. "That's why you were at the Morgenroete facility on Heliopolis."

Cagalli nodded. "Now you know." She thought back. "I'd heard rumors that Morgenroete was helping the Earth Forces manufacture mobile suits. I approached my father about it, but he kept changing the subject; that's when I knew I had to see for myself."

"And then you found out..."

Cagalli took one look at the battle raging below around the pair of mobile suits and sank to the floor. "I knew it," she moaned. "The Earth Forces' prototype mobile weapons. Father, I knew you betrayed us all!"

Kira resumed checking the Strike's systems, but continued speaking. "But your father- uh, Chief Representative Athha really _didn't_ know anything about it, did he?"

"That's what a lot of people on the inside say, but my father has never actually denied knowing about it." She sighed. "I used to believe my father..."

"Cagalli, I..."

He broke off, as two mechanics walked past, muttering about the Strike. "It's been pushed to its limits, like the machine is crying for help," one finished.

Cagalli watched them go, then looked back at Kira. "Did you hear what those guys said?"

He climbed out of the cockpit. "Maybe so," Kira said quietly. "There were a lot of people I wasn't able to protect."

* * *

A little later, they stood in a small lounge overlooking the factory. "So that's why you joined the resistance?" Kira asked, handing Cagalli a coffee cup. "You ran away because you were fed up?" 

"My father used to tell me I had no idea what went on in the world; so, I went to see for myself," she explained.

He picked up another cup for himself. "What, is that it?"

Cagalli gazed into her coffee. "In the desert, everyone I met fought desperately. I mean, their land is just a pile of sand, but they still fought tooth and nail for it." She remembered her fallen friend Ahmed, whom Kevin had avenged within minutes of his death. "Then I look at Orb." She walked over to the window. "See? With all this power and the things that we can do, we still want to be pals with both ZAFT _and_ the Earth Forces." Cagalli turned suddenly. "Doesn't that seem sleazy? Is that the right thing to do?"

Kira walked over. "Would you rather fight, Cagalli?"

She was surprised by the question for a moment. "All I want is to bring the war to an end."

"We all do," he agreed. "But it's- Just fighting won't end the war; I kinda doubt it. Too easy."

Cagalli became thoughtful at that, but then Kevin stepped in from wherever he'd been hiding himself, once more appearing where no one expected him. "That's where you're wrong, Kira," he said softly. "I don't like it any more than you do, but unless the other side genuinely wants peace, which is rather unlikely given who's leading their military, a decisive victory is the _only_ way to end it." He was already carrying a coffee mug, filled with a concoction he'd picked up from his mentor, Andy Waltfeld; he sipped it as he thought. "Before you tell me violence never settles anything, I suggest you look at history. The Romans used it to 'settle' things with Carthage, and rather well, too. More recently, look at the Second World War. It took two atomic bombs dropped on cities to force the Japanese to surrender."

Kira glanced at him sidelong. "I'm not doubting your knowledge of history, Kevin," he began, "but how much of that choice of examples comes from the fact that _you're_ a soldier? I mean, without war, you guys wouldn't have any purpose."

Kevin was expecting the question. "Kira, you're a soldier now, too, remember? How do _you_ feel about war?"

"I hate it."

He nodded. "Right. The rest of us do, too; you think professional soldiers like me _like_ bleeding and dying on the battlefield? With a certain number of exceptions, civilized armies don't like war, either; the soldiers simply realize that it's a job that needs doing. You remember those refugees we protected all the way to Earth orbit, before they were killed. Could you have _not_ fought to keep them safe?"

Kira shook his head reluctantly. "No, I couldn't have. I see your point, Kevin. But..."

Kevin put a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Kira; you don't have the temperament for this kind of work. Believe me, I'd rather you not have to fight, either. But..." He closed his eyes. "Better there be an army made up of people like you than me. I have a moral code, and I'm no sociopath, but my standards _are_ rather different from those of normal people. My solutions are a little too... direct, sometimes."

Cagalli looked at him, concerned. "Kevin... are you in one of those moods again?"

"Something like that." Snake turned away, briefly extending his claws. "I still wonder, sometimes, if _I_ should be the one to die. I've got these abilities, and these enhancements, that make me more dangerous than anyone else. I have the power..."

"To make a difference," Kira broke in. "You and Commander La Flaga both said that to me. Now think about it yourself, Kevin. You're a super-soldier, right? You've got more fighting ability than anybody else. _You've_ got the power to make a difference, Kevin. _You_ can change this war, on your own. With your powers and your father's mobile suit..."

"You told me you believe in Fate," Cagalli said, seeing where Kira was going. "You've come back from the dead more than once. Maybe you've got some kind of part to play in this war. Maybe there's something only _you_ can do. Maybe you can end the war."

Kevin stared at them as if they'd gone mad, then burst out laughing. "Me? Make a difference? End the war? You've gotta be kidding! Look, you two. First of all, I'm a super-soldier, not an _omnipotent_ soldier. I don't have super powers. Oh, sure, back in the 20th AD, my kind might be seen as supermen, and Destroyers would wipe the floor with armies of that era, but in this day and age, with just one of me? Ha!"

"That's the point, Kevin," Cagalli said. "You've _already_ changed the war, by making sure you _are_ the only one of your kind left. Things would have been a lot worse if that project had been completed."

"Maybe so," he conceded. "But I think you've both gone off the deep end." Kevin changed the subject. "By the way, I hear the Captain is allowing us volunteers to see our parents today; at least, those of us who _have_ parents. That kinda leaves out Flay and I, but that doesn't really bother me anymore. I was never very close to them, and it _has_ been years. I've had far worse things to worry about."

He was quite puzzled when Kira looked uncomfortable at the prospect of seeing his parents.

* * *

While Kuzzey, Mir, Tolle, and Sai visited their parents, Flay wandered the _Archangel_'s corridors alone, feeling listless and depressed; her mother had died when she was little, and her father only weeks before, at the hands of the _Vesalius_. She had no family to visit. 

Flay finally came to the quarters she shared with Kira and entered, intending to rest. But a voice spoke from the computer alcove. "Hey there," Kira said, glancing up from his work.

"Kira? What are you...?"

"Oh, sorry," he said, turning back to the computer. "I'll be done in a little bit. Do you mind waiting a minute? Or I could meet you in the cafeteria when I'm done."

She frowned. "Why didn't you go?"

"What...?" he said absently.

"Don't you have family here as well? Why aren't you going to see them?"

Kira was quiet for long moments after that, before finally speaking in a subdued voice. "This is taking longer than I thought it would," he said, still typing, "but it has to be done before the _Archangel_ leaves."

"Liar!" Flay stomped over to him and slammed her hand down on the desk. "You're lying!"

He looked up at her, surprised and confused. "What?"

"What is it? You feel bad for me?" she shouted angrily. "Because no one's come to see me? You pity me."

Kira blinked in confusion. "No, I-"

"So now you're feeling sorry for me. Is that it?"

He stood. "No, Flay," he protested. "That's not it."

Flay snorted in disgust. "Oh, I just wish you'd stop it; you're putting on this big sympathy act for me, but I really couldn't care less!" Her expression turned mocking. "You're the one who's really suffering, aren't you? _You're_ the one people should be feeling sorry for." Her tone joined her face. "Poor little Kira. Kira's all alone. You feel terrible because you're fighting; and when you can't protect people, you feel even worse. So then, you start crying."

She started crying herself, and put her head against Kira's chest, sobbing and beating her fists against him. "So how," Flay sobbed, "so how... how can you feel any sympathy for someone like me?"

Kira just stood there for several moments, confused and, now, a little angry. "Flay..." He swallowed. "Stop it," he said, feeling very tired. "Let's put an end to it; this was a mistake."

At first Flay didn't realize what he was saying. "What...? What did you say?" She pushed away as the import of the words registered. "What? What does _that_ mean?"

She pushed him away and ran out of the room, sobbing; as she did, Kevin once again materialized where no one was expecting him. He stepped into Kira's quarters and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry, tovarisch," he said softly. "But it was for the best."

"What do you mean?" Kira demanded.

Snake sighed. "Kira, I really don't want to have to tell you this, but if you insist..." He leaned against the wall. "Kira, she was using you. All this time, ever since her father died, Flay's been using you to avenge him... and she doesn't particularly care if you get killed in the process."

Kira shook his head, disbelieving what he was hearing. _It was a mistake, yeah, but this...? No, no it couldn't be._

Kevin seemed to pick up on his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Kira. But it is." And he left, as soundlessly as he had appeared.

* * *

It was not entirely by accident, though it seemed so to Flay, that she and Kevin ran into one another in another of the labyrinthine corridors; he'd been seeking her out, though the confrontation did not go entirely as he expected. 

Flay saw him, and perhaps recognized him as a possible replacement for Kira as a weapon of vengeance. "Kevin!" she called, running to him.

Only to be shoved roughly away, landing hard on the deck. Stunned, she barely noticed the gun that had fallen near her, instead seeing only the bore of the ancient Colt Single Action Army, pointing directly at her forehead. She froze, uncomprehending of this bizarre development.

"Don't even think it, Flay," Kevin said, eyes frozen jade and hand very steady. "I know exactly what you were doing to Kira, how you were using him as a tool. By rights I should kill you now, for using him that way. He was quite smitten, I know, and you used that, manipulating him at every turn; but I suppose you finally slipped and showed what you _really_ thought."

"What are you talking about?" Flay, terrified, voiced the denial while glancing surreptitiously at the autopistol lying within easy reach.

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about, Flay. And if you try the same thing on me, I will not hesitate to pull the trigger." He thumbed back the hammer with a casual movement. "You were good, Flay, there's no doubt of that; you fooled just about everyone else, though I suspect Captain Ramius and Commander La Flaga had an inkling. But you couldn't fool me, mon ami. I'm a very good actor myself; I know my kind." Snake's eyes twitched toward the fallen gun. "Don't bother," he said softly. "In another life I was a fencer; today I'm a gunfighter, and you should know there's no chance you'd reach it before I fired."

"Wh-what are you going to do?" Flay stammered.

He holstered the revolver. "For now, nothing. But there's something you should think about, Flay: trust is a valuable commodity, and it can't be bought. It has to be earned. And when you _betray_ trust, it becomes much _harder_ to earn. So think about this: you've betrayed my trust, and you've betrayed Kira's trust. I don't know about him, but _I'll_ never trust you again. Remember that." Kevin snatched up the pistol, slid it back into the shoulder holster, and slipped away, vanishing as quietly as he had appeared.

* * *

Later, the incident was quite far from Kevin's mind; he was in a control room overlooking a test chamber, working quietly in a corner while Asagi tested an Astray and Kira worked on the software. 

The reason for his rapid typing was not immediately apparent, and Cagalli, coming up behind him, wondered what he was looking at so intently; the monitor he was staring at appeared to be blank. "Uh, Kevin," she said, her tone suggesting she thought he wasn't quite sane, "what are you doing?"

"Take a look," Snake said absently, fingers flying. Then he muttered something under his breath as a translucent shape appeared on the monitor: the Stormhawk, barely visible. "That's not quite right."

"?" Cagalli watched in confusion as the ghostly image faded again, before appearing fully for an instant and going completely dark. "I get it," she said finally, as a light went on in her head. "Mirage Colloid?"

He nodded. "Right. I got tired of the Blitz popping in and out, so I asked Erica if maybe we could turn the tables." Kevin tapped another series of keys, and the mobile suit materialized again, PSA down. "Dad's design was near-perfect to begin with," he went on. "But in the last few years, since Stormhawk was actually constructed, there have been a number of interesting technological innovations. Dad apparently anticipated this, so there's a certain amount of room for extras in this beast; you and Erica had the idea of adding phase-shift armor, and now it's got Mirage Colloid, too. Fortunately the _Archangel_ has the complete specs for all five G-weapons, so Morgenroete was able to manufacture a single copy."

She raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you said you didn't inherit any of your father's design skills."

"Like I also said, I've studied making better bombs; and in this case, I didn't have anything to do with the design work. I just floated the idea, and Morgenroete did the rest." Snake frowned, still tapping keys. "The only problem is, the software's so complicated only a Coordinator could manage it by the time we leave Orb, so here I am. But the bloody system _still_ isn't working quite right... there!" He pressed a single key, and the mobile suit vanished; he pressed it again, and it shimmered into view. "I think that's got it."

Closer to the observation window, Kira was just finishing his explanation of the OS alterations he'd made. "...and I redesigned the whole system to make it more compatible with the reflexes of the average Natural."

Simmons looked pleased. "I just can't believe how quickly you did all that. You're pretty good, aren't you?"

La Flaga, also wearing a mechanic's uniform, turned to her. "Would I be able to get the same performance if I tried it?"

She nodded. "Yes, that is correct, Commander. Would you like to give it a try?"

He started to reply, but Kira sighed, and he closed his mouth, looking at the Coordinator in concern; he'd noticed something seemed to be bothering him.

Simmons, oblivious, keyed the intercom. "Asagi, you can finish up now."

"Okay!"

* * *

The various occupants of the chamber filed out through the huge metal doors, and Kira turned to Simmons. "Well, I'm gonna make my way back to the Strike now." 

She nodded. "Okay; I'll see you later." The engineers and test pilots turned one way, while Kira went the other.

La Flaga caught up with him in a couple steps. "Hey, Kira!"

He paused; he'd hoped to avoid this conversation, and he was still in shock from Kevin's revelations to him earlier. "What is it, sir?"

"You've got this look on your face that says something's bothering you."

Kira continued walking, the commander just behind him. "I don't have any look," he said evasively.

"Oh, yes you do." La Flaga frowned, concerned. "_And_ I hear you turned down the chance to meet with your parents; why's that?" For long moments, there was no reply. "Kira," he prompted.

"If I did meet them, all they would see is a soldier," Kira finally replied, nearing the Strike.

"Hey, kid!" Murdoch hailed him. "I went ahead and boosted the thrusters' output by eighteen percent. Could you check the momentum control parameters for me?"

"Sure." Kira climbed the Strike and dropped into the cockpit, where he immediately began booting up the computers.

La Flaga stood next to the hatch, looking down at him. "You may be a soldier, but you're still the same Kira. I'm sure your parents were hoping they'd get a chance to see you."

There was another long silence. "Day in and day out," he said at last. "This is all I do. I fight battles in mobile suits, and then help out with their development and maintenance. Why? Because I can."

The Hawk of Endymion had never heard the younger pilot talk like that. "Kira..."

His fingers flew over the keyboard. "As soon as we leave Orb, I'll be going into battle against ZAFT again." Images from the last battle, the one where his friend Kevin had died again, went through his mind.

"Well, yeah, but that's-"

Murdoch interrupted again. "About Agni's shielding, I think we've tracked down the scan ring in the magnetic bottle. I want to run a shakedown; it'll be about thirty minutes, so have the Strike ready."

"Right." Once again, Kira's voice was calm, not reflecting his emotions; it was nearly a minute before he spoke again. "I'm afraid that if I met them now, I'd end up asking them why."

La Flaga frowned, confused. "'Why' what?"

Kira's fingers paused over the keyboard. "Why on earth did they make me a Coordinator?"

The older pilot had no answer for that; neither did Snake, standing unobtrusively next to the Strike, hidden in shadow. _So, Kira,_ the shadowy figure thought. _We have much the same question, you and I. My parents, too, were Naturals, and they were of Orb. So why did they make my brother and I Coordinators, why were we separated at birth, and why did Father build the most powerful mobile suit in existence in a nation he had to know would be neutral in the coming war?_

At that moment Birdy, the mechanical bird that Athrun had given Kira when they parted on the Moon, three years earlier, took wing, flying up toward the surface. "Birdy?" Kira climbed out of the Strike after it. "Birdy!"

* * *

Kevin quietly tailed Kira as he exited the Morgenroete building, in search of the wayward robot; he, too, was curious about its unusual behavior. 

"Where could it be?" Kira was muttering, nearing the fence that enclosed the facility. Then he looked straight through it, and saw the figure that held Birdy, who also neared the fence.

Snake froze in surprise, watching the two figures walk towards each other. _Athrun?_ He thought, stunned. _What the devil are you doing in Orb? And that disguise..._

In a jeep with Simmons a little distance away, Cagalli glanced their way, blinked, and turned to Erica. "Stop!"

The pair stopped at the fence, simply looking at each other. Then Athrun raised his hand, bringing Birdy close to the barrier. "Is this... yours?" he said, voice betraying no sign of recognition.

"Thank you, yes," Kira replied, holding out his hand for the robot to jump into.

They continued to watch each other for several more moments, until an impatient voice called from a car behind Athrun. "Hey! C'mon!"

Unnoticed behind his sunglasses, Kevin kicked his bionic eye up to magnification and studied the three teenagers in the vehicle. Now he saw why Athrun had been so cautious. _Let's see... Dearka Elsman, that looks like Yzak Joule, and... Great Scott, Nicol Amalfi? He joined ZAFT?_

He had no doubt of the identity of the green-haired young man with the backwards hat; as Nicol was a sometime-concert pianist and Kevin Walker had once been a fencer, they'd moved in the same circles in the PLANTs and met several times.

_Great, another enemy I know personally. This war just keeps getting better and better. Well, at least Athrun's efforts at not recognizing us indicate he still has _some_ concern for us. Nice of him._ That Athrun had recognized him, despite the scar and sunglasses, Snake did not doubt.

As his old friend turned to leave, Kira called after him. "An old friend gave it to me." Athrun paused, and he went on, eyes sad. "It's a very valuable gift... from a valuable friend."

Athrun looked back a moment longer. "I see." He resumed walked away.

"Kira!" Cagalli shouted, running as fast as she could to reach the fence. She, too, recognized Athrun, from the island; but she still did not know that Kira and Kevin both knew him very well.

Athrun looked back one more time, at Cagalli, and then he was gone... even as Kevin walked in the opposite direction, eyes strange behind the shades.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has visited his old home for the first time in years, and Kira has learned the dark history of part of Kevin's genetic heritage, that of the zoanthropes; and the identity of the man who hired the assassin two years ago has been revealed. 

Athrun Zala now knows Kevin is alive; what will the new, unknown machine bring to the upcoming battlefield?

I should mention here, by the way, that when I wrote this initially, I was rather suspicious of Lord Uzumi; it took a good deal of thought to come up with a legitimate reason for him to have sent an assassin. That is explained later.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, you finally see the confrontation between Kevin and Uzumi; I imagine it was a little different from what you were expecting.

I hadn't thought about it, but I guess you're right about Cagalli's mood change; once again, I appear to have accidentally done something subtle. I just wish I could _consciously_ use that talent.

DarkReader, thanks for the suggestion; but I think the official website will fulfill my requirements for now. If I'm wrong, I'll certainly check out that site.

NukeDawg, go ahead; though depending on how much of Kevin's back story you intend to use, you may want to wait a bit. A few of the most important pieces of his background aren't revealed until Mendel. Anyway, whatever works. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Shinji Ikari: I thought as much regarding Phase 27, which is why I didn't worry about it much. However, it was my understanding, both from previews of the episode and the official website, that "SEED" stood for "Superior Evolutionary _Element_ Destined-factor".

As for the "Zero System", I'm mostly working from what I remember of the episodes I saw, as well as some information I picked up elsewhere. Frankly, I haven't the foggiest idea how it's supposed to work, but it _is_ supposed to be able to predict the next few moments of battle with remarkable accuracy. Not perfect, but pretty close. There is one element that I don't really touch on, though: as I remember it, the system is supposed to be able to show the pilot who his true enemy is, regardless of whether or not that enemy is anywhere near. I saw no real place for it here, so I basically ignored that aspect.

As for the beam sabers, well… it just sounded right, I guess. At any rate, subsequent events will render that particular point meaningless (you'll see what I mean).

Point taken, by the way, on the other reason for Kira's emotional state in the PLANTs; Tolle's death managed to somehow slip my mind. And I _will_ be modifying the battle slightly to include Kira's thoughts on the matter.

Something I should point out, though, regarding Stormhawk's weight: recoil would not be an issue except with the machine cannons. By their very nature, you see, energy weapons do not _have_ recoil, whatever the series shows. The reason for the energy drain is not because of the Phase-shift working overtime, it's simply because a beam that big would use a lot of power all its own.

As regards an N-jammer canceler, well… all I can say is, stay tuned.

Now, I'm sure this chapter was just terrible (_I_ thought it was pretty good, but then I also thought Chapter 18 was pretty dull), but tell what you think anyway. -Solid Shark


	20. Chapter 20: Trial By Fire

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

Less than a day after completing the apparently fruitless infiltration of Orb, Athrun sat on his bunk on the _Cousteau_, going over material he'd brought back from the "Land of Peace". 

The presence of Kira at the Morgenroete facility hadn't come as much of a surprise to him, and it confirmed the _Archangel_ was still in Orb territory. But Kevin Walker's appearance _had_ been somewhat startling, in light of his apparent demise nearly a month earlier; and something had prompted Athrun to do some research.

He'd long known that Kevin was from Orb, but after seeing him at Morgenroete, he realized how little he actually knew of his background. On a hunch, Athrun had obtained various books and articles from around the last time he was certain Kevin had been in Orb. He received his first surprise almost immediately, as he glanced at a newspaper clipping from C.E. 68.

Athrun glanced at the photo accompanying the article, and then stared at it. He recognized the two people, standing side by side. One was the girl he had met on a deserted island... and the other was none other than Kevin Walker. What was he doing standing with the princess of Orb?

The caption answered that question, identifying the two as Princess Cagalli Yula Athha, and her life-long friend Lord Kevin Onishi. _Life-long friend of the princess of Orb? What on earth...?_ The article itself went on to say that the picture was taken during one of Lord Onishi's visits home from a school in Copernicus, on the Moon, and also that the young nobleman would be participating in a fencing tournament during his stay. _Fencing?_

Athrun opened a book about Orb's various nobles, and he swiftly found the name Onishi. _The Fencing Prince? The world's greatest fencer? Kevin, you sure didn't mention much of your planetside life, did you?_ The entry went into great detail about Lord Onishi, mentioning that many thought him to be the future consort of the princess. _Well, well, well. You never said anything about _that,_ old buddy. Marrying a princess, eh?_

The details of Kevin's life ended two years previously, with a note that the young man had inherited his father's title as Baron Onishi just prior to disappearing, and then resurfacing just in time to be shot dead by an assassin. The identity of the sniper's employer remained unknown, the book said; but the assassin himself was later found dead, a bullet through his brain, along with a hand-written note saying the Baron was avenged.

And that, it seemed, was the last anyone had heard of Kevin Onishi... until he suddenly appeared in Orb, under the name Kevin "Snake" Walker, aboard the Earth Forces ship _Archangel_. That obviously wasn't common knowledge, considering the lack of news regarding him and the fact he'd clearly been incognito at the Morgenroete factory, and Athrun wondered why he was keeping such a low profile.

Kevin Walker, a baron of Orb... That's something I never suspected. And is this idea of his marrying the princess true? Is that why he nearly killed me on that island? Maybe you're not a sociopath after all, Kevin.

Nicol Amalfi chose that moment to walk in. "Hey, Athrun," he said with a quick salute. "I figured out who that guy in black at Morgenroete was-" He broke off, seeing the material Athrun was looking over. "Oh, I guess you did, too."

Athrun looked at him in surprise. "You know the guy by sight?"

"Sure; I met him a few times, even." Nicol nodded at the brief biography. "I remember he used to accompany his parents on diplomatic visits to the PLANTs, and I guess he preferred music to diplomacy, so I saw him a couple times at concerts. Lord Onishi, I think they called him; on one of his trips, he was asked to demonstrate his fencing, and I happened to see it. He beat the guy in just a few moves."

"So he really was as good as this stuff says?"

He nodded. "At least. I think he was a Coordinator, but I'm not sure. It was weird seeing him there, though; I heard he died a couple years ago."

Athrun nodded thoughtfully. "Apparently, everybody else thought so, too. At least, those who knew his real name. But it seems he's a lot harder to kill than I thought."

Nicol's eyebrows went up. "You know him too, Athrun?"

"Yeah, we went to school together in Copernicus." Athrun refrained from mentioning that the Baron was also flying off the _Archangel_; just as there was no need to mention he knew Kira, there was reason enough not to mention an Orb noble and former classmate flew the Punisher prior to its destruction. Besides, Dearka thought he'd finally killed the pilot, and it would make Athrun's life a little easier if Dearka and Yzak thought they'd gotten _some_ success against the _Archangel_.

Besides, what harm would it do? Even if Kevin Walker _was_ still alive, and intending to remain with his ship, he couldn't do any real harm. Not with his mobile suit at the bottom of the ocean.

* * *

At that moment, Kevin's _new_ mobile suit was being loaded aboard the _Archangel_ under Kojiro Murdoch's supervision; while Kevin himself was on the Bridge with the officers and Ledonir Kisaka. 

"At the moment, our chief concern would be Panama," Kisaka said, pointing at a map on Neumann's screen. "Our intelligence suggests ZAFT is planning a _massive_ operation; Carpentaria is buzzing with activity."

"That doesn't surprise me," Snake murmured. "What with Patrick Zala as the new Chairman of the Supreme Council." That news had made his blood boil; one of his personal objectives was to kill everyone involved with Project ABADDON, and to his knowledge only Zala remained from the group.

"But this might actually work in your favor," the Orb colonel went on. "After all, you're trying to reach Alaska; this should divert them."

"Besides, once we get past the Tropic of Cancer, we'll be in Alaska's air defense zone," Neumann agreed. "I can't imagine them pursuing us_ that_ far."

"How reliable is your intelligence?" Natarle Badgiruel asked.

Kisaka shrugged. "I'm not sure. You see, Orb's in a difficult position: we want intelligence, but we don't want to stir up a hornet's nest."

"Any word on the team that was chasing us before?" Ramius asked.

"No ZAFT ships have been detected near Orb for the past few days."

"Did they give up and leave?"

"I think that's a possibility," Kisaka replied. "Especially after all the discussions on the diplomatic side of things."

Ramius nodded thoughtfully, but Badgiruel had another question. "This talk about how former-Representative Athha didn't know anything about the mobile suits and this ship... Can it be true?"

The Captain started to speak sharply. "Lieutenant Badgiruel-"

Kisaka raised a hand, silencing her. "Yes, it's true he didn't know anything about the whole affair," he said, affably enough. "Under pressure from the Atlantic Federation, several Cabinet ministers made the decision on their own; Morgenroete turned out to be involved as well." He shrugged. "I can understand those who want Orb to declare itself for one side or the other, but if we were to become involved in this war, it would be our people who would suffer the most, like Heliopolis suffered. Therefore, no matter how difficult this position is, Lord Uzumi will always support it." He looked at Ramius. "It's understandable if you find that somewhat foolish."

"Not at all," she replied.

Snake, however, had a different perspective. "Colonel, this _is_ our war. It became ours the day Heliopolis was attacked by ZAFT, the day Heliopolis collapsed. Whether or not we were in the wrong by building the G-weapons is irrelevant; if ZAFT wanted something done about it, they should have at least tried confronting Orb about it first." Aware of the looks that earned him, he raised an eyebrow. "I know, that's not exactly how _I'd_ have done it, either, but that doesn't change the facts." He shrugged. "But it's not like my opinion carries much weight in Orb politics, so I'll do my best on my own, as Orb's unofficial representative."

Kisaka cocked his head with a slight smile. "I think you underestimate how much influence you would have here, were you to reveal yourself, but that is your choice, Baron. I hope we meet again when all this is over."

"So do I." Whatever he might think about Orb's current status, Kevin respected Kisaka, as a soldier and as his best friend's bodyguard.

"So, how are the repairs coming along?" the colonel asked.

"I'm told they'll be finished sometime tomorrow," Ramius replied.

"You only have a little ways to go; hang in there."

The Earth Forces officers and the Orb colonel exchanged salutes, and Kisaka turned to leave. "Colonel Kisaka," Ramius called after him.

He turned. "Hm?"

"I just wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for us."

"You're welcome. But you've helped me as well." Kisaka smiled. "I have no family left there, but Tassil is where I was born. I knew our victory would be temporary, but when I saw what was happening, I had to do something. And with your help, I was able to bring our headstrong runaway princess home. For that, I should thank _you_."

* * *

The next day, down in the hanger, La Flaga, Kira, and Murdoch were talking to Tolle, who sat in Skygrasper 2's cockpit. "I'll be fine," he insisted. "I've flown tons of simulations. I can do this!" 

"You can't deny we'd be better off with two of these machines in the air," Murdoch commented. "The Strike's handicapped, flying down here on Earth."

"But, Tolle-" Kira protested.

"I'll only be a spotter and provide support for the Strike," Tolle reassured him. "I'll be above the battle."

"Are these Lieutenant Badgiruel's orders?" La Flaga asked.

"I volunteered," the ship's copilot said. "I want to help out _somehow_."

"You're a braver man than I, Tolle Koenig," Kevin said, walking into the hanger.

That surprised the brown-haired pilot. "Huh? But you've been going into battle a lot of times now."

"And I'm also a lot harder to kill than most people," Snake pointed out. "Besides, I'm going to be flying the most advanced mobile suit in the world; durable, powerful, and almost undetectable. But," he added, "you need to understand something: war isn't a game."

"I know that," Tolle replied, annoyed. "But I've done okay in the simulators-"

"Simulators. Not reality." Kevin shrugged. "You'll understand what I mean, after you've experienced it." He turned to Murdoch. "So, did Stormhawk get loaded okay?"

The mechanic nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. Fancy piece of work, kid."

"Isn't it just." A very good thing, too; he'd seen Athrun in Orb, which meant ZAFT knew where they were.

* * *

Before long, it was time for the _Archangel_ to leave port; repairs were complete and it was time to move on, after twenty-three days in Orb. A restive time, at least, it had given the crew a chance to catch its breath after the numerous battles they had been through since leaving Heliopolis nearly three months before. 

Kevin wasn't in the best of moods; Cagalli had told him her father had forbidden her to stay with the ship, so he was alone once more. It depressed him greatly, since they had only reunited two months ago, after a two-_year_ separation, during which he hadn't even recalled she existed.

On the Bridge, preparations were made to move out. "Message from the Fleet, Ma'am," Kuzzey reported. "'Looks clear; proceed according to schedule.'"

Ramius nodded. "Send a reply that we acknowledge."

Sai glanced over his shoulder at Tonomura. "They're escorting us out?"

"They're helping us by camouflaging the ship," the petty officer replied. "You see, if we're surrounded by a large number of ships, it'll be that much harder to identify us."

Romero Pal glanced up. "Former-Representative Athha has just arrived at the dock," he reported. "Ma'am, he's requesting that Ensigns Yamato and Walker come to the upper deck at once."

She blinked, wondering what was going on. But she nodded. "Very well; relay the message."

Minutes later, Kira and Kevin climbed up onto the upper deck, atop the starboard Gottfried, both of them wondering what was up. Then someone called up at them. "Kira!"

Kira ran to the starboard railing, and his eyes widened in surprise as Cagalli came running toward the ship, in a blue uniform similar to Kevin's baronial garb. "Cagalli? What are you doing?"

"Wait! Your parents are here!" she shouted, gesturing. "They're right up there! Look!"

He did, and he saw Lord Uzumi, Kisaka, Simmons... and indeed his parents, watching him from an observation room. His expression turned stricken, once more confusing Kevin, standing behind him.

Cagalli climbed out of the hatch behind them, panting for breath. "Why...? Why won't you see them?" She ran to Kira's side. "Say something, Kira!" Then she saw his face, and fell silent, startled.

"Look, could you tell them sorry, but not now?" he asked, voice a little strained. "I don't think... right now is..." His voice broke, as his eyes filled.

She looked at him for a long moment. "All right."

Kira turned back to the hatch, then looked back. "Take care of yourself, Cagalli, okay? And thanks for everything."

Cagalli watched him go, swallowing hard, then ran forward. "Kira!" He turned just as she flung her arms around his neck, holding him tight and startling everyone who could see it. "Listen... stay alive."

He smiled, returning the embrace. "Don't you worry," Kira said, tears running down his face. "Nothing's gonna happen to me."

Behind him, Kevin smiled oddly and made his way down the steps into the ship once more. _To think she hit him when they met in the desert. Now... She'd probably kill anyone who threatened him._ He smiled fondly at the thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps coming up behind him; Kevin knew who it was without looking, via his empathic sense.

He turned. "Hi, tovarisch."

Cagalli came up to him, worried and regretful. "I wish I was going with you."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, me too. And if it was me, I probably would. But I'm just an orphaned baron, not the heir to Orb. I guess your father doesn't want you going out on anymore dangerous adventures."

"Even though it's _my_ life." She snorted bitterly. "I guess he's worried about what kind of 'influence' you'd have over me."

He shook his head. "No, we cleared that up weeks ago. He's still not entirely happy about it -and frankly, I still don't like _him_ very much, either- but he wouldn't try to interfere again."

"That's something, at least." Cagalli swallowed. "You'll be back, right?"

Kevin smiled. "Of course I will. And I promise, I'll do everything I can to make sure Kira is, too."

Now, out of sight of her father, she hugged her old friend tight. "Be careful, okay?"

He hugged her back. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Three deaths are enough for me."

* * *

The _Archangel_ finally pulled out of the concealed dock, leaving Cagalli to watch it disappear into the fog. Aboard, all but two souls were happy to be moving again at last; those two had heavy hearts only because of the one they left behind. 

In the hanger, Kira walked toward the Strike, already wearing flight gear. "Why you all dressed up, kid?" Murdoch asked, confused. "We haven't received any orders yet."

"As soon as we cross the border, ZAFT will attack us," Kira said, and climbed aboard without another word.

The mechanic spotted Kevin walking in, wearing his own black flight suit with the King Cobra patch. "You got any idea what he's talking about, Snake?"

"Yes," the super-soldier replied shortly. "They know where we are." He swarmed up into his new Stormhawk, leaving his equally cryptic statement hanging in the air.

Murdoch and his mechanics exchanged bemused looks, wondering if the two were serious, but the fact that the Stormhawk suddenly vanished into thin air for an instant gave them a clue. The Baron was not given to sudden equipment tests in the hanger if he didn't think something was really up.

But where did they get the information?

On the Bridge, Ramius was thinking ahead to the battles that no doubt awaited them across the border, though she did not know how close they truly were.

"We're almost at the border of Orb's territory, Ma'am," Neumann reported.

"Very well. Maximum combat speed once we leave the fleet."

"Message from flagship, Captain," Kuzzey reported. "'This is where we turn back. We wish all of you the best of luck.'"

"Reply," Ramius ordered. "'We appreciated your escort.'"

The mighty Orb fleet peeled off, leaving the majestic _Archangel_, pristine once more, to plow through the waves alone.

Just as the ship crossed the boundary, Neumann lifted it into the air, soaring over the waves on six fully-functional engines and working levitators.

* * *

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and that's what worried Kevin. He always trusted his instincts, and they, like his recollection of a certain face in Orb, were screaming at him that they were about to be attacked. 

His instincts were correct. Within minutes, his intercom link with the Bridge started chattering. _"Something on sonar, Ma'am,"_ Tonomura reported. _"Submarine carrier surfacing!"_

_"Three, no four mobile suits incoming!"_ Pal reported.

_"Roger."_ Ramius' voice was still calm._ "Anti-air, ship and mobile suit attack."_

_"Deploy smoke dischargers,"_ Badgiruel ordered._ "Put out a smokescreen on both sides."_

Mir's voice came on next, giving orders directly to the pilots. _"Commander La Flaga and Crewman Koenig to the catapults; Strike to starboard catapult. Prepare Launcher Striker; connect power coupling when ready."_ That would give the Strike power directly from the ship's generator, allowing it to fire the Agni hyper-impulse cannon indefinitely. Aiming it, of course, would be a problem, but that was Tolle's job: he'd transmit targeting data to the Strike._ "Stormhawk,"_ Mir said finally, _"head for the aft deck; engage Mirage Colloid and switch to mobile armor mode."_

"Affirmative." The M1000 frame dropped from its storage brackets and walked to the hatch leading to the ship's aft deck, powering up along the way. Kevin wasn't worried about the power consumption; even with the mobile suit's fission reactor disabled by the N-jammers, it still had twice the endurance of a standard model.

Stormhawk reached the aft deck, converted to its predatory-looking mobile armor mode, and then seemingly _flowed_ out of existence, vanishing from all sensors in the same manner as the X207 Blitz. Preparations complete, Snake guided the mobile suit to a position above the ship's superstructure, just inside the smokescreen. Now perfectly concealed and eagerly awaiting battle, the Sturm Falke seemed to settle in, waiting for its time to strike.

In the port catapult, Tolle sat in Skygrasper 2, feeling tense. He'd been with the ship through many a battle, but this would be the first time he got right in the thick of it.

_"Don't be nervous,"_ La Flaga advised him._ "Just stay clear and provide support for the Strike from overhead."_

He swallowed nervously. "Y-yes, sir!"

_"Don't get shot down. Let's go!"_

_"Skygrasper Koenig, prepare for launch,"_ Mir called._ "Be careful."_

Tolle was instantly pressed back into his seat as the fighter, armed with the Sword Striker pack, shot into the sky, exiting the smokescreen alongside Mu La Flaga.

"Two of them?" Yzak Joule muttered, seeing them come. He fired off a quick shot.

"Watch out!" La Flaga warned. "Okay, not bad," he said, seeing Tolle easily sideslip out of the beam's path. "Okay, let's get them!"

At the starboard catapult, the Strike was getting ready; holding the Agni in one hand, he attached a power coupling from the deck below to the massive weapon. "Strike here," he reported. "Power conduits connected; auxiliary power online."

"Kira, do you read me?" Tolle called. "I'm sending you the enemies' coordinates."

_Tolle._ "Roger that." The targeting scanner moved into place before Kira's eyes, and the crosshairs immediately settled on the spot Tolle's telemetry indicated.

Athrun blinked in surprise as the first hyper-impulse shot arced out of the smokescreen at them. "Everyone scatter!" he ordered, following his own advice.

"Okay, looks good," La Flaga muttered. "Hawk to Snake, anytime now."

"Snake to Hawk, roger that."

Dearka Elsman was just lining up for a shot when azure energy blasts appeared out of nowhere, narrowly missing his Buster. "What the?"

Down out of the sky, flowing into existence, came Stormhawk, firing its buster rifles at the oncoming G-weapons. Snake swept around, coming to a point above the smokescreen, and his machine swiftly transitioned back into mobile suit mode, buster rifle in one hand, while his left held a shield that easily caught the hastily-aimed shots that came at him.

"What is that?" Dearka triggered a shotgun blast, only to see it miss completely as Stormhawk dodged it... seemingly before the shot was actually fired. "What on earth is that thing?"

"Hello, Elsman," Snake called, using the ZAFT frequencies he'd gleaned months earlier from his captured machine. "Surprised to see me?"

"Walker!" Dearka's voice was equal parts surprise and fury. "I _killed_ you!"

"Unfortunately, hell had no vacancies," Kevin said dryly. "I am the Hydra; cut off one head, and two more take its place." He raised his rifle. "There are many monsters that have been whispered about throughout the ages. But they are myth, while I am reality."

"What are you talking about, Walker?"

Dearka, alas, didn't get an answer to that question, for the Strike appeared out of the smoke and blasted his Guul to smithereens with a hyper-impulse cannon. He promptly fell from the sky as if a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Athrun, watching the Buster go down, was of two minds about this proof of Kevin Walker's continued survival. On the one hand, despite the fact that they were enemies, he didn't want his old friend to die. On the other, Kevin had sworn to kill him, and if he remembered one thing about the one they now called Snake, it was that he never broke an oath.

Still, he had to try. "Kevin, please. I don't want to fight you. Just get out of here!"

Snake's reply was chilling. "Are those your final words?" he said softly.

Athrun shook his head. "You know, you're as friendly as always."

"If you don't want to fight, then surrender." Stormhawk was doing something odd, putting both buster rifles together into one twin-barreled weapon. "This is no do, and there is no try. There is only die."

"What are you-"

Suddenly, there was no question as to what he meant, for a gigantic azure beam, over one _hundred_ meters in diameter, speared across the sky, leaving in its wake the sound of air rushing to fill the sudden vacuum.

Athrun was physically shaken, and not just by shock; the ionized air from the blast had shaken Aegis like a terrier. "What on earth?"

"Don't test me again, Athrun," Snake said calmly. "Not unless you _want_ to have that inflicted on you." Though he had no intention of using that beam again unless absolutely necessary; with one shot he had just consumed a full third of his machine's energy. Two more shots, and he'd drop from the sky; and there were still _three_ enemy machines.

"Take this, Earth slime!" Yzak fired his beam rifle, missile launchers, railgun, and rifle-mounted grenade launcher simultaneously, trying to overwhelm the new enemy.

Stormhawk avoided the attack with contemptuous ease, deigning to return fire only on the missiles. "That the best you got, Joule? Maybe you'd try something fancier if you knew I was a Coordinator!"

"What?" Sheer rage and surprise threw off Yzak's aim. "You're lying-!"

"Hardly. Could anyone else have done this?" Snake gave a hollow laugh. "Reap what you've sown, you bastards! It was _you_ who made me into your worst enemy! It was ZAFT that turned me into the agent of its own destruction. It was ZAFT that created the Destroyers, and now they learn just how well they succeeded!"

"Destroyers?" Yzak said something obscene. "You're one of the _them_?"

Athrun glanced his way, startled by the sudden evidence that ZAFT truly was behind the monstrous transformation his old friend had undergone. "You _knew_ about this, Yzak?"

The psychopathic pilot made a sound halfway between amusement and rage. "Of course I knew, Athrun! Everybody with half a brain knew about our ultimate weapons! Then some bastard blew the project-" He broke of, and this time there was no amusement in the sound he made. "You bastard! _You're_ the one who did it, aren't you?"

"Innocent, as charged," Kevin said pleasantly. "Now the ultimate soldier is paired with the ultimate mobile suit. Care to test me more?"

Yzak longed to do just that, and would have had the Stormhawk not suddenly vanished from sight. "What-?"

"Invisibility games," Athrun muttered. "Watch out, guys, he's got Mirage Colloid!" Eyes sweeping the sky, trying to keep an eye on everything at once, he tried again to contact Snake; he longer really cared if anyone knew he knew the Sturm Falke's pilot. "Come on, Snake, we used to be friends! Why do we have to fight?"

Lucky for him, Yzak was no longer in a position to intercept the transmission, having just been blown out of the sky by the Strike's shoulder-mounted Gatling gun. And now a shape was appearing out of the smoke, seemingly rising to meet the falling Strike... and Athrun realized the danger just in time.

"Scatter!" he ordered, just as the _Archangel_'s Gottfrieds opened up, sending enormous energy bolts at them. His own Guul narrowly avoided being vaporized. "Where are you, Baron?"

Though Stormhawk was still invisible, Kevin's voice came from the radio instantly, with a low chuckle. "Ah, so you made the connection, eh, Athrun? That's right, I'm a Baron... and the agent of your death."

Stormhawk flowed into view again, beam saber held in two hands, and Athrun was nearly bisected before he could raise a blade of his own. Having learned of Snake's fencing past, he had expected that if they fought again, mobile suit to mobile suit, he'd use that style.

However, Snake and Stormhawk had undergone an extensive testing cycle, and he'd discovered that fencing was impractical with a mobile suit. So instead, he used kendo, a style he'd learned from one of his opponents, years earlier. "How do you like that, Athrun?" he said, sweeping his blade in a lethal arc. "What do you think of my new suit?"

"I think you've been busy," Athrun replied through gritted teeth, barely intercepting the strike. "What _is_ that thing?"

"This is the most powerful piece of machinery ever to come out of Morgenroete," Snake replied, satisfaction evident in his voice.

He was actually enjoying himself. As he'd told Mu La Flaga months before, he was not a mobile suit pilot. In fact, every time he'd flown one, Snake had nearly been blown to bits, and the last time he _had_ been shot down. But his father's mobile suit fitted him perfectly, giving him abilities no other flyer had. Especially his secret weapon.

_I still don't know what you were thinking, but your Zero System works like a charm, Dad, _he thought. He'd been somewhat nervous, using the system in a combat situation for the first time, but the extensive training had paid off. With the firepower, durability, and ability to see where attacks would be crucial seconds beforehand, Snake was in the best position of anyone in this battle.

He darted out of the path of a beam from the Blitz and soared over the now-submerged carrier... and nearly fell out of the sky as a strange feeling filled his head. Some kind of resonance, similar to what he felt when another zoanthrope was near. But this... this was different, Snake knew.

The Stormhawk vanished from sight behind its Mirage Colloid system while its pilot struggled with his own senses; meanwhile, the Strike had just landed on the _Archangel_'s bow deck and dropped its Striker pack.

_"Commander La Flaga's approaching,"_ Sai told Kira.

_"Strike,"_ Mir added,_ "prepare to convert to Aile mode. Stand by."_

"You'd better not drop my presents," La Flaga called.

Kira nodded. "Commander; do it!"

The Strike leapt into the air once more, as La Flaga's Skygrasper dropped the various components of the Aile Striker pack. In a display of coordination Snake would never even have attempted in a mobile suit, the Strike caught each piece perfectly, in exactly the right places. And now, the mobile suit was once again capable of independent flight.

"He changed his equipment in midair," Nicol said, awed.

While the Strike engaged in an aerial duel with the Aegis and the Blitz, Tolle and La Flaga circled the battlefield, each searching for an opening.

La Flaga was also searching for the Sturm Falke; he'd not seen the Snake simply disappear like that. _C'mon, kid, where are you? Don't tell me you just took off and ran for it?_ It was a preposterous idea, of course; as far as anyone could tell, Kevin was utterly fearless, at least when it came to his own safety. So he was lurking here somewhere, waiting... or possibly driven out of his mind by the Zero System, which La Flaga had never trusted.

Tolle was worried, seeing the Strike under persistent attack by the Blitz. "Kira," he muttered. His grip on the stick tightened, and he nodded to himself. "Let's go!"

The Blitz was setting up for another shot at Kira when a hail of small missiles struck it, forcing him to evade. "What the?"

"Tolle, no!" Kira, seeing Nicol trying for a shot at his friend's fleeing Skygrasper, drew a beam saber and slashed, a chopping attack that lopped off the Blitz's right arm. He followed up with a body-check, knocking the black G-weapon off its Guul... which Kira promptly appropriated.

"Nicol!" Athrun shouted, seeing his comrade drop into the sea. He snarled, a sound of pure anger as he brought his own beam rifle up.

The next few moments were a blur, the Strike and the Aegis exchanging fire... until the Strike put a beam straight through Athrun's Guul, causing a collision the two mobile suits barely escaped.

Frustrated, the Aegis transformed into its mobile armor mode and fired two quick shots from the Scylla hyper-impulse cannon, forcing Kira to dodge swiftly or be destroyed. Athrun, of course, then had his own surprise coming: someone on the _Archangel_ was evidently displeased by the attack, and he was promptly grazed by a shot from the port Gottfried.

Athrun cursed, dropping from the sky; his verniers were damaged, and now so was his hyper-impulse cannon. And with no Guul, he was trapped on the ground.

The Strike landed back on the bow deck, and once again his radio spoke up. _"Kira!"_ Tolle called. _"I'm sending the Sword over to you!"_

"Tolle?"

On the small island he'd come to rest on, Athrun considered his options. There weren't many; Dearka and Yzak were both in the water, Nicol had disappeared completely with an arm gone, and now he was in grave danger himself. It appeared that Kevin had been right: there was no do, and there was no try; there was only die.

_Then I'll die,_ he told himself fiercely._ Better to try and take them with me than to surrender!_

"Athrun!"

The Aegis dodged backwards, raising its rifle just in time to have the energy weapon's barrel cut off by the descending Strike, now wielding a fifteen-meter ship-killing blade... the very weapon that had killed Miguel Aiman, months earlier.

"Athrun, stop it!" Kira shouted. "I don't want to fight you anymore!"

"It's too late," Athrun replied. "Come on and shoot me!" Aegis charged forward, deploying a pair of beam sabers. _"Just like you said you would!"_

_No, Athrun, please,_ Kira thought, barely catching the blow.

"Isn't that what you said before?" Athrun went on. "That you'd destroy me?"

The Strike reared back, then threw a punch at the Aegis' face, knocking it over. The blow knocked out the phase-shift armor. "Athrun!" Kira shouted, raising his giant blade.

Then both pilots turned to look as a shape took form from the air. "Athrun, get out!" Nicol yelled, the Blitz's remaining arm holding a penetrator dart.

Time seemed to slow for all involved as the Blitz neared the Strike, Kira began dodging to the side... and then an azure column lanced down from the sky, engulfing the Blitz and blasting the Strike and Aegis backwards. The huge blue beam shone for an apparent eternity, but faded at last... and nothing remained of the Blitz but very, very small pieces of shrapnel.

Above, a great winged figure like an avenging angel hung for an instant, before vanishing from sight.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has, reluctantly, left Orb, and his friend, behind; and Athrun Zala has discovered his secret. Will Kevin ever emerge from the shadows? 

Now Nicol Amalfi has perished by his hand, yet no one seems to realize it…

All right, let's head off a possible complaint. I know Kevin didn't have much of a problem in this battle, but there are two points to take into consideration: first, in the actual episode the _Archangel_ basically wiped the floor with the Zala team; and second, the enemy G-pilots have never faced the Stormhawk before, so, like Athrun's abortive fistfight with Kevin in Chapter 16, they're still coming to grips with the machine.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I think you will find Kevin has very good reasons for not killing Athrun; you'll see what I mean.

By the way, I notice you use the phrase "Lioness of Orb". Having come across it in a couple of other places, I have to wonder if it's official. Is it something mentioned in Destiny?

Relik, I do try to use real military terms; having read numerous war novels written by former pilots, I have at least a slight knowledge of such things. Since I have striven to have at least a small modicum of believability in this story, I use these terms when appropriate.

I'm pleased you approve of the story; and I'm certainly aware of the occasional grammatical error and missing words. I try to correct these when I find them, but without a profession editor (for that matter, judging from novels I've read, even _with_ a professional editor), I regard these mistakes as inevitable. Nothing is perfect.

Shinji Ikari, I, too, will start with the easiest point: I could be wrong, but it seems to me that, since this is written from a third-person perspective, the perspective doesn't "switch" at all; by definition, I would think, it's from an objective viewpoint, where "perspective" is irrelevant, except for characters' thoughts. If I'm wrong, I'll accept correction; after all, I am technically an amateur writer, whatever my eventual ambitions in that regard may be, so it's hardly as if I know everything about the craft.

You've got a point about Kira's lack of reaction to Kevin's talk of being a "weapon and monster"; that's another thing on my "to fix" list. Not quite top priority, of course; to my mind, it's relatively minor, so I _am_ concentrating on posting new chapters, but I will get to it before long (I think).

Point also taken about Lord Uzumi's lack of reaction to the "weapon of vengeance" line. I'm going to go back and rephrase, as I really don't want to add the amount of text that this would require; and besides, Kevin wouldn't be the type to make that slip, _especially_ with someone like Lord Uzumi, who he doesn't exactly trust.

With the Flay/Kevin encounter, see above for the first criticism; though again, I'm open to correction. As to the second, I would say that having Kevin's gun fall out _would_ be contrived: by him. It's just the sort of thing he would arrange to make his point (i.e. "If you try this, I will kill you").

Sorry to disappoint you regarding Nicol, but believe me, there _will_ be several tragedies he prevents. And before you point out that Nicol's being killed by Kevin necessitates major changes to the confrontation between Kira and Athrun, let me assure you that I thought carefully about that before I ever came up with this twist. There _is_ a proper -and, I think, plausible- explanation in the next chapter.

When it comes to the encounter between Kira and Athrun in Phase 28, it struck me right away that they were trying to maintain each other's cover. In fact, it never occurred to me to think anything else. I always looked to me that the lack of names, and vague phrasing, was meant to feign a lack of recognition.

It was coincidence, I think, that the scene at the end, with Kevin walking away, was reminiscent of the ending credits. I was thinking more of the way Athrun walks away from the fence in Phase 28, with the ending theme playing in the background. I _did_ try to capture that feel, and I guess it _is_ a lot like the ending credits. So, once again one of the best elements was something I did by accident.

Now that I think about it, you're right about Kira feeling Le Creuset's presence in Phase 50; before, I always thought he simply _saw_ something, but now that you mention it…

I really don't understand the Zero System either, and since the principles behind it doesn't seem to be explained very well -at least not in the episodes I saw or the info I uncovered later- I'm just not worrying about it much. The series got surreal enough as it was.

About Tolle's death: what I mean was that I forgot when I wrote the author's notes, not when I made the decision.

Finally, about the Reconstruction War, I'm not sure if it's mentioned in Phase 14 or not; I'd have to check (that one I _do_ have on DVD). It is mentioned in the official website's timeline, however, and I believe -though I may be wrong- the glossary. In a nutshell, though, the Reconstruction War was an enormous, worldwide conflict at the end of the A.D. era. It grew out of tensions caused by the exhaustion of fossil fuels and worsening environmental pollution (I'll leave my own opinions of the validity of such problems -or lack thereof- out of this), which caused a worldwide economic collapse. The conflict was finally triggered by ethnic and religious strife, compounded by the extremely virulent Type S influenza virus; before the end of the War, nukes had been used in Kashmir (big surprise, considering the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan, not to mention their long-standing conflict over the region). It finally ended in C.E. 9, and in the aftermath, nations like the Atlantic Federation emerged out of the rubble of the old national order. Interestingly, it was only in that year that the Cosmic Era calendar was adopted, and they selected the year nuclear weapons were used in Kashmir as their Year One.

NukeDawg, you shouldn't have too long to wait for your information; at this rate, the Mendel sequence will be posted sometime next month. I trust the revelations there will be… interesting.

Okay, now that I've spent an entire hour writing the author's notes -as usual- I think I've finally finished it. Let me know if it was good, bad, or ugly. -Solid Shark


	21. Chapter 21: Marshall Law

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

The combatants stared at the space where moments before the Blitz had stood, all of them shocked; including Yzak and Dearka, who had managed to leave the water just as the attack hit. 

"Nicol," Dearka whispered, his old contempt forgotten as the reality sank in.

"Can't be," Yzak said, stunned.

Kira and Athrun faced each other across the empty ground, Kira in shock and Athrun simply uncomprehending of the events of the last few moments.

None of them knew that a fifth witness hovered above them, hidden by the same stealth technology the Blitz had used. _Nicol? Nicol Amalfi? Bloody... You shouldn't have been here, mon ami._

"You did this..." Yzak said in a strangled whisper. "You'll pay, Strike!"

Kira flinched and raised an arm, catching the Duel's beam attack on his shield. As the Buster joined in the bombardment, he leapt backwards, trying to escape the barrage.

_"Ensign Yamato!"_ Badgiruel called from the Archangel, hovering above._ "What's taking you so long? Return to the ship at once! There's no need to pursue them any farther!"_

Still shell-shocked, Kira obeyed, taking to the air in a leap back up to the ship. Below, the Duel fired ineffectually at him. "Get back here!"

"Stop it, Yzak," Dearka said sharply. "We need to regroup."

Yzak snarled, but agreed. "Later," he whispered harshly to the departing Strike.

The three remaining members of the Zala team leapt back to the water, where their carrier awaited; above, the Stormhawk flowed into view and returned to its own mothership.

* * *

Once more safely ensconced the in the hanger, the Stormhawk powered down and Snake removed his helmet. "What a bloody mess that was," he muttered. "At least we got out without a scratch." 

He dropped to the hanger deck just in time to see Kira lose his temper with the crowd of mechanics surrounding him. "Stop it!" he shouted, fists clenched and body shaking. "I just killed someone! That's no reason to celebrate!"

Killed someone? Who?

Murdoch looked at him in confusion. "Hey, you've been doing this for awhile now; thought you'd be used to it..."

La Flaga thrust aside the mechanics. "Hey, leave him alone, you guys! Can't you see the kid's exhausted?" He held out a hand. "Kira, come on."

Kira ignored him completely and strode from the room; the older pilot shot a dirty look at Murdoch and followed him out into the corridor. Behind him, a shadow surreptitiously trailed along.

"They didn't mean to upset you," La Flaga said, coming up behind the young pilot. Kira ignored him, and he tried again. "You know, we all consider you one of us, Kira."

"Yeah, I know that." He kept walking.

La Flaga sighed in annoyance. "_Kira_," he said forcefully, and grabbed his shoulder. "We're _not_ murderers; but we _are_ soldiers." His temper was beginning to rise. "And we're fighting a war here! If you don't get them, they'll get you. That goes for you, for me, for _all_ of us!"

Kira finally looked at him, eyes blazing. "I _know_ that!"

"Get a grip, kid," the Hawk said harshly, "or it'll cost you your life."

Kira stared at him a moment longer, then left, body still tense.

"What was that about?"

La Flaga nearly jumped out of his skin when Snake spoke; once again, he seemed to have appeared out of thin air, a habit that greatly unnerved the older pilot and nearly made him a nervous wreck whenever he passed the super-soldier's quarters. "Snake! Don't do that." He sighed and glanced down the corridor where Kira had vanished. "He's beating himself up over killing that guy; if he keeps it up, it'll get him killed."

Snake shook his head, confused. "_Who_ did he kill? I didn't see him kill anyone."

La Flaga frowned. "He blew up the Blitz; didn't you see it?"

He blinked. "Excuse me? Commander, _I_ killed the Blitz. What, you didn't think the Strike produced that blast, did you? That was Stormhawk's beam cannon. I don't see why Kira thinks _he_ did it... unless that shockwave hit him a little harder than I thought."

"_You_ did that?" La Flaga cocked his head. "Well, that's gotta be a first. I thought Kira did it, the crew thinks Kira did it, ZAFT thinks Kira did it, and _Kira_ thinks he did it, when it was actually somebody nobody even realized was there."

"Fog of war, Commander; that's one reason war crimes are hard to prove." Snake looked grim. "Bloody, this is bad. I knew Kira didn't have the temperament for this, but I figured he'd at least hold himself together... I'll have to talk to him, I guess. If we lose him, we lose _everything._ I can't do it alone, not with the way I fight."

"Yeah, about that..." La Flaga glanced around, as if checking to make sure no one was in earshot. "What happened out there, Snake? It's not like you to just vanish in the middle of a battle. Something spook you?"

Snake was silent for a long moment. "Something like that," he said finally. "I felt something, Commander."

"'Felt something'? What's that supposed to mean?"

He thought for a moment. "How much do you know about zoanthropes, Commander?"

The commander frowned, puzzled. "Not much. Why?"

"We're empaths, to a certain degree; we can sense each other, and we can recognize familiar presences. It's how we know each other for what we are."

"And you felt another of your kind?" La Flaga thought he saw where this was going.

He was wrong. "That's just it, Commander; that's not what I sensed. Oh, I'm pretty sure it _was_ another zoanthrope, but the main feeling was..." Kevin struggled to find words to describe it. "It was a kind of resonance," he said at last. "That's the only way I can describe it. A mind that was on a wavelength close to my own, if you know what I mean."

The other pilot started in surprise. "A resonance?" It couldn't be...? "Like a connection, between your mind and his?"

"Something like that," Snake agreed. "I've seen and felt a lot over the last couple years, Commander, and I've never run across anything quite like that before. The closest analogues I can remember would be the implant-radio connection between myself and the rest of the Destroyers, and the bond twins share. But my twin is dead, and so are the rest of my kind."

"I see..." La Flaga scratched his head. "Sure you weren't born triplets?"

Kevin rolled his eyes at the sardonic comment. "Yeah, Commander, I think I can be sure of that. Back in Orb, I looked at the _real_ hospital records from when I was born, and there was definitely just the two of us." He did not appear in the least distressed by the memory of the brother he'd been forced to kill; but then, he hadn't been sure of Michael Carnehan's true identity until after his death, and, as he'd once said, grief was an emotion with which he had long ago parted company.

"So, what are we gonna do about Kira?" La Flaga asked, steering the conversation back to where it had started. "I've never seen him quite like this."

"Neither have I; not even when we first boarded the ship, at Heliopolis." Snake frowned, concentrating. "In part, it's because of one of the pilots out there, one we happen to be... acquainted with; he doesn't want to fight him, but I think he's just realizing that we're truly enemies now. It's... gonna be tough on him."

"How can you be so sure of what's going through his head?" the Commander asked curiously.

He leaned against the bulkhead. "First, Commander, I've known Kira for ten years; I know the way he thinks. Second..." Snake shrugged. "We have something of a bond, he and I. You'll recall certain occasions where he's suddenly started fighting better than ever? Those times when he is to mobile suit combat as I am to ground warfare?"

La Flaga nodded slowly, remembering the battle in which Kira had severely damaged the Duel, the first battle with Waltfeld's forces... "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"I don't know much myself," Snake admitted. "But the talent is known as the 'Berserker State'; as far as I can tell, it's activated by stress and strong emotion, and it greatly heightens the individual's perceptions. A handful of Coordinators have this 'Berserker' capability, and possibly some Naturals as well, and Kira and I are among them. And yes, there is a point to this: when Kira enters the Berserker state, so do I. Always at the same moment, no matter how far apart we may be. I don't understand it, but ever since that first time, I've been able to dimly sense Kira's emotions. It doesn't work beyond a certain range, but..."

The Hawk scratched his head again. "Gotta say, I've never heard anything quite like _that_ before. Think it's got something to do with your zoanthrope blood?"

"Probably." Kevin closed his eyes, thinking. "I've wondered about this before, and the closest I can come to an explanation is how unique we, and me in particular, are. We're both Coordinators, with Berserker capabilities; on top of that, I'm a cybernetically-augmented zoanthrope, with natural empathic abilities and implants designed to allow me to function as part of an interconnected team. A one-in-a-million occurrence, one probably never to be repeated... if _I_ have any say in the matter." He chuckled quietly. "You know, Commander, it's really quite ironic; ZAFT set out to make me the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal, yet instead they managed to produce their worst enemy." He shrugged. "The connection to Kira is quite irrelevant, of course; like I said, it's dim, hardly noticeable, but it does give us one priceless advantage: it gives us _two_ Berserkers."

"But I thought you already were one yourself."

"Once, indeed, I could enter the state myself." Snake breathed deeply, thinking of a time he hated. "But the experiments, while succeeding in producing a lethal weapon, failed in two respects: the alterations intended to give me _enhanced_ Berserker capabilities instead removed them entirely, or so I thought until recently. And... I can no longer control myself when in my animal form." He shuddered, recalling again the content of his nightmares. "When I 'unleash the beast within', I truly unleash the beast. Believe me, Commander, you _don't_ want to be around when I lose control."

La Flaga winced; he'd seen this young man in action before. "You know, Snake," he said, for about the hundredth time since meeting him, "I'm really, really glad you're on _our_ side."

* * *

Later, Snake wandered the ship's corridors, feeling weary and depressed. He knew what was happening to him, having gone through it before; without Cagalli's presence to keep him in check, he was falling dangerously close to fatalism again. 

Killing Nicol Amalfi hadn't helped. Kevin knew that it was war, that people died in war, and normally it wouldn't have bothered him anymore than any of the other deaths he'd been responsible for. But, like with Andrew Waltfeld, Snake hadn't wanted to kill Nicol; killing someone he knew personally, with a few exceptions, was something he hated.

He meandered at last into his quarters, where he walked over to his desk and collapsed into the chair. _Bloody, I'm tired of war,_ Snake thought, gazing at nothing. _If it weren't for those ZAFT bastards, I'd probably still be in Orb, continuing my fencing career, or maybe working at Morgenroete... Instead, I'm back to my old occupation, the one they made sure I was fit for: killing people. Solkin syn, why am I even still alive? I should have died so long ago..._

His eyes came to rest on a framed picture of himself and Cagalli, taken years earlier at a diplomatic banquet in Orb. Next to it was a more recent shot, of him standing with Cagalli and Kira in his study at Onishi Manor. It had been taken the day before the _Archangel_ departed...

"You've_ got the power to make a difference, Kevin. _You_ can change this war, on your own."_

_"Maybe you've got some kind of part to play in this war. Maybe there's something only _you_ can do. Maybe you can end the war."_

Snake had laughed, then, and told them they'd gone off the deep end. And he still thought it was nonsense. But seeing her face, and remembering her words, buoyed him. "It's not my time to die," he murmured. "Not quite yet. But soon, perhaps, I can find peace." He lifted the older picture. "Wish you were here, tovarisch," he said to it. "It's a bloody shame to see you for the first time in years, after forgetting you existed, only to have us separated again after so little time together. But I _will_ see you again, somehow, before the Grim Reaper catches me. I promise."

* * *

The next evening, Snake restlessly paced the _Archangel_'s corridors, wandering the ship as he sought to dispel the nervous energy that kept him awake. He was feeling remotely human again, as well; he suspected he'd simply have to deal with the occasional bout of depression for awhile to come, but it at least wouldn't dominate him the way it had the last time. 

In his wanderings, Snake happened to pass the cafeteria, where his classmates were chatting; Tolle seemed to be talking about his exploits during the last battle. "It wasn't so bad," he was saying. "Sure, it was scary at first, but I kind of figured, if Snake's girlfriend could do it, so could I."

Having caught that last comment, Kevin leaned into the room. "Feel like wearing that sandwich, Tolle?" he asked conversationally.

Tolle's eyes snapped to the hatch. "Oh, uh, sorry, Snake," he said hastily. "I, uh, I didn't mean-"

"_Sure_ you didn't." Behind his sunglasses, Snake rolled his eyes. "But I'll let it pass... _this_ time."

"Ah, there you are, Snake."

Snake turned and raised an eyebrow as Ramius approached. "Good evening, Captain. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'd like to speak to you in my office, if you have a moment," she replied. "I assume you're not busy?"

"Of course, Captain." Curious, he followed the Captain to her office; the last time he'd been there, as he recalled, was just before he'd gone off to Banadiya, to kill Alex Jackson and his own brother, Michael Carnehan.

Once inside, Ramius settled into the chair at her desk and motioned for Kevin to sit in the one across from her. "First of all," she began, "I'd like to congratulate and thank you for your efforts in that last battle; I'd also speak to Kira, but..."

He nodded. "Yeah; I think congratulating him right now would just make him feel worse."

"Unfortunately true. But without the two of you, we would not have survived. And, of course, we now have one fewer G-weapon to worry about."

"It'll certainly be nice not to have to worry about having the Blitz appear out of nowhere," Kevin agreed. "By the way, shouldn't you be thanking the Commander, too?"

Ramius smiled. "And inflate his ego even more?" she said dryly. "Commander La Flaga, I'm sure, knows exactly how well he flies, and any reminder would be somewhat redundant. His name is well-known even among the neutral nations." She leaned forward. "Which brings us to the other matter I wanted to discuss with you, Snake. You know, of course, the general prejudice against Coordinators held by Earth Alliance military."

"Too well; Kira and I were fortunate that we ended up with this crew," he concurred, wondering where this was going.

"Well, it's generally known now that 'Kevin Walker' is a Coordinator. Because of this, there's a certain amount of risk involved in your coming to Alaska. However, I believe there may be a solution." Ramius turned on her desk computer and began opening files. "As it happens, Admiral Halburton never had the opportunity to relay our casualty list to Earth Forces Command, so we have an opportunity here to disguise your presence." She turned the monitor so that Snake could see it; it displayed a personnel file. "This is Lieutenant Junior-Grade Drake Ryan; he was killed when ZAFT attempted to destroy the _Archangel_ while it was still in dock, on Heliopolis. He had no living relatives, and mostly kept to himself, with little socializing. So it would be a simple matter to alter his personnel file to match your current appearance, especially with your... way with computers."

Kevin leaned forward, closely examining the image and bio. "You're proposing I take the name of this 'Lieutenant Ryan'? Not exactly according to regs, Ma'am."

"Sometimes," she said quietly, "The Book must be taken with a grain of salt. There are times when I feel the rules must be bent if we are to stay human; that is a lesson I hope Lieutenant Badgiruel learns. In this case, in addition to the moral angle, there's the fact that we simply can't afford to lose you as a pilot. Even Natarle would agree on that." Ramius smiled. "Of course, the name would only be used outside the ship; to the rest of us, you'll still be Walker. But I believe the promotion is well-deserved, so you'll be _Lieutenant_ Walker aboard the _Archangel_."

Surprised, Snake nodded. "I'm honored, Captain. Thank you. I probably wouldn't have reached that rank through normal channels, since I won't stay with the Earth Forces beyond this war; as I've said, my loyalty isn't with any nation. And if it were, it would be with my homeland, Orb."

"Of course." She cocked her head. "I expect, with your acting skills, you won't have much trouble with the charade?"

He snorted. "Mon Capitan, I played the part of a student from North America so well nobody caught on to me until we got close to Orb and I started slipping. I'll be fine." Kevin stood and saluted. "If you'll excuse me, Captain, I think I'd better go see how Kira's doing. And get my uniforms updated," he added on his way out.

* * *

Somehow, Snake was not surprised to find Kira in the hanger, staring up at the Strike; he entered just in time for his augmented ears to pick up Kira's words, spoken with resigned conviction. "So be it... Athrun." 

Kevin walked over. "Hey, tovarisch." He concentrated for a moment on the "sideband" of information from their empathic link (a link which Kira himself still seemed unaware of). "So, you've made up your mind?"

"Yeah," Kira said heavily. "We don't have a choice, do we? We've tried to talk each other out of it, but last time we nearly killed each other." He met his friend's eyes. "You were right, Kevin. Kill or be killed."

Snake felt oddly saddened by Kira's acceptance of it; his naiveté, while not exactly conducive to survival, had always been a little refreshing to the young super-soldier, who had seen far too much of the grim reality of war. "I wish it were different too, Kira," he said quietly. "But this is where Fate has led us. Maybe you still have a chance at a normal life, but ZAFT has ensured that my place will always be on the battlefield. And so our confrontation with Athrun is inevitable."

"Yeah..." Kira thought once more on the capriciousness of this "Fate" that his friend believed in, then changed the subject. "So, I hear congratulations are in order, 'Lieutenant Walker'."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "The rumor mill is the only thing faster-than-light on this ship," he said wryly. "Yeah, I got promoted, through some kind of bureaucratic maneuvering that I don't even pretend to understand. Wouldn't want to, either; I'll take the clear-cut issues of the battlefield to the arm-twisting of bureaucracy." He glanced sidelong at the other pilot. "Should have been you, Kira; you've done more than I when it comes to protecting this ship. Until I got Stormhawk, I seemed very good at getting shot up, and not so good at anything else."

"I'm not sure I'd want to be promoted for killing somebody," Kira said quietly. "I'm not exactly proud of it."

"No sane person is. Commander La Flaga was right when he said you won't find many people who fight just to fight." Snake grimaced. "Unfortunately, I'm one of them; it's how I'm built, literally a part of my body. I wouldn't fit in as a civilian anymore."

"You managed it on Heliopolis," Kira pointed out. "You even had _me_ fooled; back then, I thought you'd just had some bad luck by running into Blue Cosmos, then got just good enough just in time to survive it. I didn't know you were a super-soldier until after you rescued Cagalli in the Indian Ocean."

"Yeah, I remember that." Kevin reminisced for a moment, remembering the events that had finally revealed to the crew that he was a cyborg; he was rather surprised Ramius hadn't so much as held a Captain's Mast over his altercation with La Flaga that day. "Yeah, I did have something of a habit of getting Cagalli's bacon out of the fire for awhile there, didn't I? I wish she was here."

"So do I," Kira agreed. "But at least in Orb she's safe. I wouldn't want to be worrying about her, too."

Snake laughed quietly. "Yeah, but if she ever heard either of us say it, she'd have us keelhauled."

His friend raised an eyebrow. "You know, I think the rest of the world has forgotten most of the expressions you use, Kevin. Just what is 'keelhauling'?"

"That, tovarisch, is a very unpleasant punishment from the Age of Sail," Kevin informed him. "You tie the offender to a rope, tie the other end of the rope to the ship, and throw him overboard to be dragged behind. The waves were quite painful on the face, and hypothermia was also a problem... as was the fact that a person in such a position was frequently a tempting bait for any nearby sharks."

He seemed quite cheerful about it, and his somewhat peculiar attitude toward such things, seeming almost amused by it, couldn't help but lift Kira's spirits slightly.

Kira frowned suddenly, though, as he realized he felt something strange... almost an echo of someone else's feelings, at the edge of his consciousness... "Kevin...?"

Snake looked at him closely, then nodded slowly. "So you feel it, too," he said quietly. "I wondered when you'd become aware of our connection."

"Connection...?" Kira's eyes narrowed. "What is this, Kevin?"

"I'm not precisely sure," he admitted. "But you and I have a kind of empathic link, something that allows us to sense each other's emotions. I talked to Commander La Flaga about it, and the best explanation we can come up with is that, when you combine how well we know each other and my own... unique capabilities with the fact that we both have Berserker talents, that first time you entered that state forced some kind 'psychic bond' between us. At first, the only evidence of it was that we both entered the Berserker state simultaneously. But, while the sense is dim as of now, the fact that we can sense each other's feelings tells me that the link is getting stronger; because at the beginning, that sense was not there at all." Even now, Kevin was still considering the implications. He'd told La Flaga that the link was irrelevant, but he was no longer so sure; it meant little _now_, but if it continued to strengthen...

Kira, too, now thought on the matter. In retrospect, he should have realized earlier that such a connection existed between them; on the other hand, of course, Kevin was more knowledgeable on the subject in general, and was in possession of more data about themselves in particular. "This is weird," he said finally. "I don't think there's ever been anything like this before."

"Not in recorded history," Snake concurred. "I did a great deal of research in Orb, when I first realized the link existed, and as far as I can tell nothing of this nature has ever before occurred. Nor, I suspect, will it again; because -and I don't mean to sound gloating or anything, because I'm just stating fact- I've always been a little beyond even Coordinator norm in terms of ability, and Project ABADDON boosted _everything_... including, inadvertently, my zoanthrope senses, normal and empathic. I honestly don't believe anyone like me will ever exist again." He met his friend's eyes. "And you're rather above-average yourself, Kira; I've never seen anyone take to flying as quickly as you did, and you too have Berserker capabilities. Taken together, you and I represent something that has never been, and probably never will be again."

"You do like to sound dramatic, don't you?" Kira said dryly. "So how much range does this 'link' have?"

"As far as I can tell, a few square kilometers," Snake answered. "For instance, back in Orb I couldn't sense you when I was at my mansion and you were at Morgenroete. But that's only for the moment."

"For the moment?" Kira tilted his head. "So how do you think it gets stronger?"

"I'm not sure," Kevin said again. "But it seems to be a little stronger after every battle, and every time we enter the Berserker state, in particular. This leads me to believe that stress plays a large role."

"There's certainly been enough of _that_ over the last couple months," Kira said with a quiet chuckle. "Especially-"

He was cut off by the ship's PA system._ "All hands to Level One Battlestations! Repeat, all hands to Level One Battlestations!"_

They didn't have to be told twice; in an instant, they were up and running to the locker room.

* * *

Under two minutes later, Kira and Snake were on their way back to the hanger, going as fast as their legs would carry them to their mobile suits. 

Kevin, slightly in the lead, went straight past a side corridor without pausing, but Flay stepped out of it in time to catch Kira. "Kira!" she called. He stopped, curious, and her expression looked worried. "Kira," she said again, struggling for words. "Kira, I..."

He looked away. "Sorry," he said softly. "Not now." Then his eyes turned towards her again. "But... later, hm...?"_ I still can't believe what Kevin said… so we have to talk. I have to know._

By the time Kira entered the hanger, Snake was already strapping into Stormhawk and running over a mental preflight checklist. "Okay, Sturm Falke," he muttered. "Now's the time to prove last time wasn't a fluke."

Before long, Mir's voice came over the radio._ "Commander La Flaga, to the catapult; Strike, proceed to the rear deck. Ensign- Excuse me, _Lieutenant_ Walker, proceed to the catapult and prepare for launch. Deployment at your discretion."_

"Roger that." Being ordered to essentially do as he thought best didn't surprise Kevin; while the Bridge crew knew the Strike's and the Skygraspers' capabilities very well by now, the M1000 was still largely an unknown, which only its pilot properly understood. "Stormhawk moving to catapult."

_"Be careful."_

"Bridge, what's the opposition?" he asked as his suit settled into the launch rig.

_"Aegis, Duel, and Buster,"_ Sai informed him._ "All riding Guuls. And there's a Vosgulov out there; sink it if you get the chance."_

"With pleasure; out." Snake turned his attention to activating the necessary systems prior to launch. "Okay, main power on, phase-shift... no, I think we'll go with Mirage Colloid first. Bloody, I miss fission plants." Wishing the power requirements weren't so high as to prohibit the use of phase-shift armor and Mirage Colloid simultaneously, he continued flipping switches until he reached the last one, protected by a red cover. Without hesitation, he flipped it open. "Zero System activated," Snake said, and pushed the button.

Instantly, the world around him changed, giving him a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree look at the world. It was no mystery to Kevin why the test pilot had nearly lost his mind; it took essentially the same qualities to interpret the data as did the wired gunbarrels of a Moebius Zero. Mu La Flaga might have managed it, but few other Naturals could.

Now it just awaited tactical data before telling him the future...

"Stormhawk, launching," he informed the Bridge, and shot out of the launch bay.

Yzak's eyes narrowed when he saw the _Archangel_'s starboard launch bay open for a few seconds, then close without having deployed anything. "You again," he muttered angrily.

"That new mobile suit," Dearka agreed. "The bastard must have launched under cloak. Let's keep an eye out; remember last time."

"Oh, yeah, I remember last time." Yzak's anger burned hotter as he remembered the humiliation of having this upstart, who had once been a member of ZAFT no less, dodge everything thrown at him without breaking a sweat. "Not this time, traitor."

"Yes, this time." Stormhawk coalesced mere meters from the Duel, and Yzak barely threw himself out of the way of a descending beam saber. "Miss me, Joule?"

"Hardly," he snarled. "This time, you're goin' down!" He triggered a grenade, then snarled again as it missed completely. "Sit still!"

"Sorry, not gonna happen." Stormhawk's head swiveled to gaze at the falling explosive. "You know, Yzak," Snake said conversationally, "when the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is _not_ our friend."

"Shut up, you cocky twerp!"

"Don't worry, Yzak, I got 'im!" Dearka had gotten around behind, intent on double-teaming this nuisance (incidentally leaving Athrun to deal with the ship and Kira alone), and fired a sniper rifle-round at Kevin's back.

Stormhawk, however, was no longer there, having moved just far enough to the side to let the attack go harmlessly past. "You know, you guys are _way_ out of your league. Look, even you guys admit it: why else would two of you be trying to take down just one of me?"

That did it. "Dearka, you go help Athrun with the ship; _I'll_ kill this guy myself!"

"Right."

Still standing on the aft deck, the Strike was engaged with the Aegis, firing carefully-aimed beams at the red machine. _Come on, Athrun,_ Kira thought._ Let's finish this._

He didn't need to talk to Kevin to know his response; now that he knew the link existed, he read it easily, and felt Snake's agreement. They couldn't read each other's minds -at least not yet- but emotions could be almost as good at communicating such things.

Kira hissed as another shot missed, and lined up for another.

Snake, as of then, was engaged in a saber duel with the Duel, trying his very best to cut his enemy in half. "Is that the best you got?" he said through clenched teeth, pressing his blade against his enemy's.

"Not hardly, traitor!" Yzak thrust against the pressure, forcing Stormhawk away. "You're gonna pay for your treason!"

"Treason?" Kevin laughed. "I was never a loyal ZAFT soldier, Joule; not really. I was a brainwashed puppet. Is it really treason to kill those who made me a monster?"

"You were our best hope to defeat the Naturals!" Yzak snarled. "Chairman Zala's Destroyers would have made this war a walkover, then _you_ had to ruin everything!" He fired his railgun, then snarled anew as it missed completely.

"Sinking to the level of barbarians, eh?" Snake shook his head. "I don't like barbarians, Yzak. I _kill_ barbarians, and I do it very quickly and efficiently."

"You betrayed your own kind, you bastard! You killed Coordinators, when you should have helping them! You're the same-"

"I'm not like you!" Finally angry, Snake raised his buster rifles. "Enough playtime! I'm gonna _kill_ you!" With the Zero System feeding tactical data straight into his brain, the shot was easy. His fingers tightened on the triggers, and a pair of azure bolts lashed out, blowing off the Duel's railgun and right leg... as well as blowing his Guul into itty bitty pieces.

"You-!" Enraged beyond words, Yzak fired his beam rifle, seemingly futilely...

...and the Zero System made its first, inevitable error, resulting in one of the beams striking Snake's left-hand buster rifle. "That's not good," he said to himself, and hastily dropped the weapon... which promptly exploded with approximately the force of a medium-sized bomb.

"Kevin!" Kira called, seeing the explosion. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Kevin replied, looking gingerly at the remains of Stormhawk's left hand. "But to paraphrase General Douglas MacArthur, whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never met energy weapons. I'm gonna need repairs, tovarisch."

His friend didn't reply; he was now airborne and busy, flying straight at the Aegis, rifle spitting energy fire while his shield intercepted counterattacks.

"Kira!" Athrun shouted, leaping off his Guul; the unmanned vehicle continued on course, barely disrupted in time by Kira's precision fire.

The two exchanged fire, losing altitude, until a lucky shot from Athrun destroyed Kira's beam rifle; the Strike lost no time in drawing a beam saber and reciprocating.

Finally, the Strike slammed into a nearby island, landing hard, and the Aegis fell after it. "How could you do it, Kira?" Athrun energized a beam saber of his own and brought it down hard. "You murdered Nicol!"

_So that's what this is about,_ Kevin realized, watching the battle from above._ But neither of them realizes it was me that destroyed the Blitz; and even if they did, Athrun can't seem to remember that people die in war!_

The next few moments of battle between the two former friends was chaotic, impossible to decipher, and his attention was distracted by the _Archangel_'s fall to Earth; unnoticed by the pilots, the ship had sustained heavy damage to its levitators.

"We can't maintain our lift!" Neumann shouted. "Levitators down!"

"Prepare for emergency landing!" Ramius ordered. "All hands, brace for impact!"

Even as the massive ship hit the dirt, Badgiruel was still giving orders. "Aim Gottfrieds and Valiants!"

Above, Dearka saw his chance; having successfully blown the "legged ship" out of the air, he now had a perfect opportunity to destroy it completely. "Gotcha now!"

"Not so fast!" La Flaga's Skygrasper angled toward the Buster, beam turret spitting death; and one of the shots connected, blowing the Guul into scrap.

"No!" Dearka shouted in frustration, and fired his own massive weaponry as he fell.

One shot connected, knocking La Flaga out of the sky, but the Hawk's last shot also hit its mark, blowing off the Buster's right arm. With such devastating weaponry in use, both vehicles dropped like rocks, La Flaga making a crash landing in the water, and the Buster landing in front of the _Archangel_.

In the cockpit, Dearka ran diagnostics, frantically trying to get his machine on its feet. "Engine output down... hydros damaged... No!"

And that's when he realized the _Archangel_'s enormous Gottfried beam cannons were pointed directly at him; if he moved, he would die. So he chose the only option left.

On the ship's Bridge, the crew stared in disbelief as the Buster's cockpit opened and Dearka exited, hands raised. "Is he surrendering?" Badgiruel said, unbelieving.

Meanwhile, the Strike and the Aegis still fought above, reduced to beam sabers and words for weapons. "Kira!" Athrun shouted, blade swinging.

"I'll destroy you!" Kira's blade blocked the flurry of strikes, and for a moment they stood motionless, blades locked.

Then Tolle, who had launched almost unnoticed in Skygrasper 2, dove toward them beam turret firing. "Kira!"

"Tolle, no, stay back!" Kira warned him frantically.

In that instant, Kevin Walker saw it all. The Zero System showed him the next few moments with perfect clarity, and he watched as the Aegis leapt away from a missile attack, reared back, and flung its shield at the lightly-armored fighter... blowing it to pieces.

_I can't let that happen!_

The Stormhawk shifted to mobile armor mode and slashed down from the sky, throttle at the firewall. "Warning," a calm computer voice said. "Warning. Speed exceeding Mach 10; if acceleration continues, the airframe will destabilize."

"Shut up!" Snake snarled, seeing the events his mobile suit had predicted beginning to unfold. The Aegis hurled its shield... Tolle began to react in shock, but far too slowly... it was too late...

And then Stormhawk slipped into the shield's path at the last instant. The improvised kinetic weapon slammed into the advanced mobile suit, slamming it backward into the Skygrasper... but Kevin's insane maneuver had bought Tolle an extra second, which he used to reach for his ejection handles.

Below, Kira stared at the explosion in horror. "Tooollleee!" All he could see was an explosion, and it told him his friend was gone.

Aboard_ Archangel,_ Mir's face took on an expression of horrified disbelief as Skygrasper 2's signal vanished.

Kira lowered his head, and when he raised it, his eyes were wide and his mind clear; and at the same instant, in a mobile suit only now trying to free itself from the ground where it had impacted, a pair of jade eyes, one natural, one artificial, underwent the same change.

The Strike leapt into the air, its pilot no longer bound by sanity. "Athrun!" The Aegis successfully blocked the first strike, but the second lopped off its left arm.

Forced back, Athrun, too began to change. "I'm gonna..." His mind went crystal clear, into Berserker madness._ "...kill you!"_

The next several moments were snapshots of destruction: the Aegis returned the favor by taking off the Strike's left arm, and then Kira stabbed through the Aegis' right eye, taking the entire head off and leaving it mostly blind.

Time resumed its normal flow as the badly damaged Aegis flung itself at the Strike, all three remaining beam sabers active, and switched to mobile armor mode. The three claws still left to it grappled the Strike, and the hyper-impulse cannon known as Scylla began to glow...

Then the glow died, and Athrun glanced down at his displays. The Aegis had run out of power, phase-shift going down, no weapons left. He was helpless, and the Strike, still powered, was beginning to recover.

Locked in his madness, Athrun took the only option left. A panel slid out from the right arm of his seat, and he punched two-eight-eight-seven into the pad there. Instantly, a red display lit up on the instrument panel, showing a countdown to Aegis' self-destruction. That done, Athrun bailed out.

Snake realized the danger through his link to Kira, and he redoubled his efforts to get airborne. "Come on, come on...!"

Too late.

The Aegis detonated, sending a wave of destruction in all directions, engulfing first the Strike, then the Stormhawk, and Snake's chair became wreathed in blue static... and the all-encompassing blast reached the Zero System.

The last thing to come over the _Archangel_'s radio link with the M1000 Sturm Falke was an unearthly shriek of pure torment, and then there was only silence.

* * *

Author's note: Aegis is gone, Strike is down for the count, and something seems to have gone very wrong with the Zero System. Has Tolle survived? 

Now Kevin Walker's empathic abilities have led to something else; what shall become of it?

Okay, looks like these notes will take less time than usual. First of all, arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, you seem to have missed part of last chapter's notes; as I said there, I had it all figured out, regarding the confrontation between Kira and Athrun: in the massive concussion of the blast, their memories of the Blitz's destruction were a little muddled. Thus, everything was preserved without my having to find a whole new way to arrange things (I could probably have managed it, but not without a great deal of difficulty.

Thanks for answering my question, by the way; and I'm glad you liked the dialogue between Kevin and Dearka. I'll have to look over it again myself; I don't think I've read it much since I originally wrote it.

Now you see what I meant about Kevin not killing Athrun; he's not in any position to do so. Soon you'll also see how I intend to handle the N-jammer Canceller.

Gojiro17, one thing you should never expect out of Kevin Walker, especially at this point, is mercy. He takes no prisoners (the reason for which will be fully explained in the sequel, though later on you might make a few guesses), and you'll remember he has no problem at all fighting friends; just look at his actions on that island, when facing Athrun.

I am aware, by the way, of what the Wing Zero Custom looks like. I've never seen Endless Waltz, but I've done a certain amount of research. Good thing, too: for future reference, web addresses don't seem to come through in reviews.

The new story, by the way, will be up very shortly after Brothers in Arms is complete, so you won't have long to wait for it. The sequel will be up and running -I think- not too long after Destiny hits the States; I already have a few plans for it, based on bits and pieces of info I've come across. Believe me, you're not the only one looking forward to it; Kevin Walker is without doubt my favorite OC to date (that I've created, anyway), and after the better part of nine months of working on Brothers in Arms, I've gotten rather accustomed to writing him. In any given situation, I know exactly how Kevin will react, which is something I can't really say about most of my OCs. So rest assured, he'll be back as soon as possible.

However, that's not something to really worry about just yet. After all, there is still almost half of this story yet to be posted.

So, that should be everything. Read and review, if you please. -Solid Shark


	22. Chapter 22: Momentary Silence

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker and Invictus

* * *

The silence on the _Archangel_'s Bridge following the explosion and eerie shriek was deafening. 

Mir stared blankly at her display, which minutes earlier had displayed four signals; then Commander La Flaga had been forced to make an emergency landing, then Tolle's signal had vanished... and now the Strike and Stormhawk had both gone silent, simultaneous with an enormous explosion... and a shriek from Stormhawk like nothing she'd ever heard.

The silence was finally broken when she shook off her stunned immobility and began frantically calling over the radio. "Kira, come in! Kevin, Kira, please respond!"

Over Mir's radio calls, La Flaga's voice could be heard on Ramius' armrest intercom. _"Hey! What's going on? What was that scream?"_

"I don't know what caused it," Ramius said quietly, "nor the explosion... but you should know we've lost contact with Skygrasper 2, the Strike, and Stormhawk."

La Flaga's eyes widened. _"All of them? No..."_

Badgiruel finally tired of Mir's frantic calls and switched off the transmitter. "Enough, Crewman," she said softly. "It's useless."

"What's the last known location of the Strike?" Ramius asked.

"An island to the south, Captain," Pal reported. "Not too far from here."

"You're not suggesting we go and look for them?" Badgiruel's tone was one of disbelief.

"We can't just abandon them-"

"Heat sources detected!" Tonomura interrupted. "They're DINNs, Ma'am!"

"Prepare to intercept," Ramius ordered.

"Not possible," Badgiruel countered. "Over half our weapons are out of commission. We wouldn't last ten minutes like this."

That brought Mir's head up again, and she hit the transmitter. "Kira, come in! Please respond-"

The Lieutenant shut it off again. "Will you stop it? They're MIA, understand?"

"Shall I list her as MIA, Ma'am?"

"What does 'MIA' mean?"

"It's a military designation that stands for Missing In Action, but what it really means it that we don't think they'll be coming back."

Everyone on the Bridge was remembering the time when Cagalli had been shot down, and Sai protested. "But what if they did manage to escape?" he demanded.

"We can't just leave them," Ramius said furiously. "Commander, the Skygrasper?"

_"Negative,"_ La Flaga replied, hating every word._ "It still needs work."_

"Captain, are you asking the crew to give up their lives?" Badgiruel said incredulously.

Ramius turned to Kuzzey. "Any word from Alaska?"

"Negative. Still no response."

She hissed through her teeth, then thought of a solution. "Keep trying to reach Alaska," she said, "and send out a distress call along with the coordinates of this island to Orb."

"To Orb?" Badgiruel protested. "But that nation's-"

"I will take full responsibility!" Ramius said harshly, shutting up even Badgiruel. "Orb _will_ accept; we're asking them to save lives."

"DINNs closing, Ma'am."

"Ensign Neumann, maximum thrust! Our number one priority is to get out of this area!"

"Yes, Ma'am! Taking off at maximum thrust."

The _Archangel_ lifted into the air once more, its crew regretfully leaving behind three of their comrades.

* * *

High above, in the PLANT colony known as Aprilius One, Kira Yamato's eyes opened. He had no idea where he was, and had the dim sense that he should be dead. 

He realized he was in a bed of some sort, with bandages on his head and torso from the waist up. He seemed to be in a gazebo of sorts, near a garden; and he was not alone.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Lacus Clyne said cheerfully, seeing him awake at last.

Kira was now very confused. "What the... where... am I?"

"You're at the Clyne Residence, in the PLANTs," Lacus replied. "I'm so glad you're finally awake."

"How did I get here?" He tried to sit up.

Lacus hurriedly stopped him, and a pale-skinned man, who seemed to be blind, replied to his question. "I found you lying in my prayer garden," he said. "You were injured and in need of assistance, so I brought you here in my shuttle. My name is Reverend Malchio."

Kira nodded blearily, then sat bolt upright as memories began to return, of his battle with Athrun, of Tolle's apparent death... and the Aegis' self-destruction, taking the Strike with it.

Lacus gripped his shoulders, concerned, as he began to hyperventilate. "Kira?"

"Why... why am I still... alive...? I... I fought... against Athrun... I couldn't have survived it..." Kira's eyes were wide and horrified.

"What?"

"I took... his friend's life," he said, barely aware of his surroundings. "Then... he took _my_ friend's life... It was inevitable, I guess... I tried my best... to kill him..."

"But you had no choice," Lacus reassured him quietly. "You were on opposite sides. But neither of you died, so everything's fine."

"But _he_ may yet die," Malchio interjected, nodding to a second bed, which Kira had not noticed. "Do you know him?"

Kira looked at the bed, and he realized that it was Kevin Walker who lay motionless in it; for some reason, his helmet was still on, visor opaque, but there was no doubt it was him.

"What's wrong with him?" Concern for himself had vanished at the sight.

"We don't know," Lacus admitted. "His wounds healed themselves very quickly, but he still won't wake up; we don't know why."

"He is dying," Malchio said softly. "Even now, his life is slipping away."

Kira stared at his unconscious friend, confused and worried... and then the answer hit him. "He _wants_ to die," he said, voice scarcely audible. "He's _trying_ to die."

Lacus was startled. "What? Why? And who is he?"

"It's Kevin. Remember him? I think you knew him before... And he's trying to die because he wants peace." He reached over and flipped open the Snake's visor, revealing his face... which was twisted, as though by some horrific sight. "He's been through a lot, ever since ZAFT got hold of him. And now... He's just going to lie there and die... after everything he's been through, he's just going to die."

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Malchio asked quietly. "He is one of the bearers of the Seed; his loss would be tragic, yet I see no way of reaching him."

"There is a way," Kira said, concentrating. Yes... he could still feel his friend, deep inside... and the link was now stronger than ever... "Just a second; I might be able to get through to him."

* * *

Kevin drifted in a sea of dark, alone and unfeeling. He sensed that he was not quite awake, yet not quite asleep... and that death beckoned, calling him. 

_Not a bad idea..._ he thought._ I have failed everything, everyone... and in death, that thing I have sought so long, perhaps I may find peace..._

Snake began to slip away, consciousness growing dim, but then another thought intruded. (_Come on, Kevin, you gotta wake up. Snap out of it, before it's too late.)_

_(Shut up,)_ he replied dimly to the voice. (_Just let me die, as I should have died so long ago...)_

_(I can't do that, Kevin. I don't want to be the one who tells Cagalli you just gave up and died.)_

That statement conjured anger. (_She'd _want_ me to die,)_ he snarled. (_If she knew I still lived. I failed her, just like I failed everyone else.)_

_(What?)_

_(I promised her I'd keep Kira alive, and I failed. Cagalli would never forgive me. She trusted me...)_

The unseen voice snorted. (_Get a grip, Kevin. Just who do you think is talking to you?)_

_(What?)_

_(Who else can get inside your head like this? I didn't die, Kevin, and neither did you, so snap out of it. Do you really want me to tell Cagalli that her best friend willed himself to die because he thought I was dead when I wasn't?)_

_(...Kira? Aegis didn't get you...?)_

_(Almost, but I guess we both got out in time. Now come on, wake up before you starve or something.)_

_(Yeah... maybe I'll do that...)_ Kevin suddenly recalled another person named Zala. (_Besides... I've still got somebody left to kill.)_

* * *

Kira opened his eyes and immediately turned his head toward Malchio. "You'd better back up; when he wakes up like that, he-" 

"Aaaahhhh!" Snake sat bolt upright very suddenly, claws extended and slashing at the air, narrowly missing Malchio's head. "What- where- what's going on?" He glanced around wildly, then relaxed and retracted his claws as he realized he wasn't under attack.

"It's good to see you're awake," the man he'd just nearly beheaded said. "We were beginning to think you might not make it."

Kevin lay back, confused. "Kira? Where are we?"

"You're in my home," Lacus explained. "It's good to see you again, Kevin."

He waved a hand. "Likewise, Lacus. And no need to be so careful anymore; Kira knows who I am." He looked over at Kira. "What the blazes happened, tovarisch? Last thing I remember, Aegis blew us all to kingdom come, then I heard you talking in my head. Was I dreaming, or...?"

"No, that was me," Kira told him. "I guess you were right about the link."

"Guess so." Snake glanced around, still not certain of his surroundings. "How'd we get here? And what happened to the _Archangel_?"

"I brought you both here," Malchio said, "after you were apparently thrown clear of your mobile suits. It was obviously unhealthy to leave you in such a place, and I happened to have business in the PLANTs."

"And I offered to take care of you," Lacus interjected. "So, how are you feeling?"

Kevin winced. "Like I got hit by a mountain. Ouch." He reached up, fumbled for a moment, and pulled off his helmet.

Lacus gasped, and Kira looked startled, for the reason Kevin's helmet had been left on was suddenly very obvious: half his face was normal, but the right half was completely gone, revealing smooth, shiny metal, from the base of his jaw to up under his hair. He was two-faced, one half natural, one half cybernetic, uncovered by the artificial flesh Orb had applied.

"Kevin-? What happened to you?" Kira asked after a moment.

His friend looked surprised. "Oh, this? I guess I forgot to mention it, but the reason I was in a hospital in Orb a couple years ago was because of a nasty encounter with pirates that left me with half a face." He lightly touched the bare metal. "Everything to the right of that scar is synthetic; for that matter, so is the scar itself." Indeed, the distinctive facial mark was gone, the only trace of it being the oddly-patterned edge of real skin.

"I see you've been through many dangers since you last left here," Lacus said sympathetically. "Well, now you have time to rest; this place is always peaceful."

Snake nodded wearily. "Yeah... rest isn't such a bad idea. It's been nothing but battle for a long time, except for a brief stop in Orb." He swung his legs over the side of the bed, attempting to stand.

She tried to stop him. "Kevin, please; you suffered many injuries; you need to rest."

He shook his head. "I'm fine, physically." And he was; as Lacus had said, his wounds had healed themselves. "My cybernetics would have taken care of it while I was out."

Lacus reluctantly let him stand, and Kevin took stock of his current situation. He was clad in bandages and the remains of his flight suit; the torso appeared to have been blown off during the explosion. Noting that the aches and pains were merely from having been motionless for too long, he cautiously extended a claw partway and methodically sliced off the bandages.

The sight of the scars covering his upper body elicited another gasp from Lacus. "What happened to you?"

"A great many things," he said simply. "More than you ever want to know."

"It appears you're a very resilient individual," Malchio commented. "As befits a bearer of the Seed."

_(What the bloody blazes is this "Seed"?)_ Snake asked Kira silently.

Kira considered that. (_I think I heard something about it in Orb; it's an acronym that stands for "Superior Evolutionary Element Destined-factor".)_

_(Sounds like mystical pseudo-science to me,)_ Snake said with a mental snort. (_But then, who am I to talk? I'm the one who believes in Fate.)_

Malchio the blind monk appeared able to sense an echo of their silent conversation. "You have the power to communicate with your minds?"

Kevin glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "Perceptive, Reverend. Yes, it appears we now can, but only between ourselves. I don't fully understand it, but I believe it to be some kind of outgrowth of my zoanthrope abilities."

"Perhaps so." The monk inclined his head. "I have heard much of you, from various sources. They say you are the one they called Crimson Tiger. So he truly was one of that rare breed."

"Indeed. But the Tiger is dead; though, unfortunately, not yet buried."

"By the way, Kevin," Lacus began. "Did you ever find that friend you mentioned?"

Kevin smiled. "I did indeed, Lacus; fortunately for my sanity."

"Well, that's good. But I think that's quite enough talk for now," she decided. "Kira, you are still injured, and Kevin, you may be healed, but you still need rest."

_(She's right, Kevin,)_ Kira said with a silent chuckle. (_Even _you_ need to sleep sometimes.)_

_(Yeah, yeah. I'm just worried about the _Archangel_, and Tolle.)_

_(But Tolle's dead, isn't he?)_ Kira said, remembering the explosion just before his last conflict with Athrun. (_I saw his fighter blow up.)_

Kevin dropped back onto the bed. (_There's a chance he got out,)_ he disagreed. (_The Zero System showed me what was about to happen, and I did manage to intercept the shield. Admittedly, Stormhawk smashed the Skygrasper a second later, but I'm pretty sure Tolle ejected before it blew. I just hope he got clear of the blast radius.)_

_(Yeah... Which reminds me; I wonder if Athrun made it?)_

_(Probably,)_ Snake replied darkly. (_He's nearly as tough to kill as I am, though probably not as resilient to death when it comes for him. No, he'll have survived, if only to give us another headache down the road.)_ He sighed silently. (_I wish it hadn't come to this, but it did. As long as he's with ZAFT, he's the enemy.)_

_(I know...)_

Malchio and Lacus chose that moment to take their leave, the latter calling over her shoulder, "Sleep well, Kira, Cousin."

Kira glanced from Kevin to the door and back again, dumbfounded. _"Cousin?"_

The two-faced super-soldier grinned. "Ah, so there _are_ a few things you still don't know about me, eh, tovarisch? Now you know why Lacus and I greeted each other as we did when she arrived on the _Archangel_: my mother was her father's sister."

His friend shook his head in utter disbelief. "You mean, all this time I've thought you were just old friends, when you're actually _first cousins?_ Why didn't you tell me?"

Kevin closed his eyes. "You never asked."

* * *

On Earth, an aircraft from Orb landed in the waters just off the coast of the island where Aegis and Strike had met their ends. _Archangel_ had called for their help in searching for three downed pilots, and Cagalli, for one, insisted on answering the request. Two of her best friends had been listed as MIA here, and she intended to find them. 

The sight that greeted her as she left the aircraft, however, was not encouraging. Pieces of the Aegis were strewn everywhere, and the Strike lay on its back, badly damaged, on the beach. And of Stormhawk, all that could be seen was a disembodied hand, clutching the remains of a buster rifle.

"Oh... no..." Cagalli stepped onto the beach, Kisaka behind her, and she feared the worst.

"It appears as if the red machine self-destructed, and took the Strike with it," Kisaka said softly.

"Over here!" a rescue worker called. "Looks like that fighter pilot ejected; we've got him over here!"

There, indeed, lay Tolle Koenig, still strapped to his ejection seat, very unconscious. He was in pretty bad shape, but it looked like he'd survive, provided he received prompt medical treatment. "Get him aboard the aircraft," Kisaka ordered. "We'll take him with us, until we can get word to the _Archangel_."

"Yes, sir!"

Cagalli, meanwhile, turned her attention to the lamed Strike; while she was glad Tolle was alive, she hadn't gotten very close to him during her time on the ship. It was Kira she was desperately looking for, and Kevin... whose mobile suit was nowhere to be found.

"Cagalli, don't!" Kisaka called after her, as she climbed up to the Strike's cockpit.

Cagalli ignored him and looked fearfully through the gash in the hatch, half-expecting to see Kira's dead body. Instead, there was... nothing. Just an empty ejection seat, still in the cockpit. "Kira..." she whispered.

"A shame," her bodyguard said softly, misinterpreting her quiet.

"He's not here," she said, with more animation.

"He's not?"

"He must have been thrown somewhere," she said, thinking rapidly. "No, maybe he ejected!"

"Cagalli, wait!" Kisaka called as Cagalli jumped down from the Strike.

"Colonel Kisaka!" They'd apparently found another survivor, and Cagalli raced over.

"Kira?" She pushed her way through. "Kira?"

But it wasn't. Athrun Zala lay unconscious on the beach, half in the water; his visor was up or shattered, and his left arm was clearly broken.

Cagalli stared down at him, fists clenched. "We're taking him with us," she said finally, voice tightly controlled. "Maybe he can give us some answers."

She turned away and walked slowly back to the plane, barely aware of her surroundings. Could both her friends have perished in that battle? If so, why was there no sign of Kira? And where was the Stormhawk? The Strike had survived in recognizable shape, so should not the Stormhawk, which was _more_ durable, have left more evidence than simply a severed hand?

Were they really... dead? Cagalli couldn't bear the thought.

* * *

Athrun Zala awoke slowly, confusedly; unlike his former friend Kevin, he didn't go straight from sleep to wide awake. But when he could see, he realized he was in a medical bed of some kind, with his arm in a sling, bandages on his chest, and an IV in his other arm. 

"I see you're finally awake," Cagalli said coldly from the other side of the room. She was holding the revolver Kevin had given her on him. "Currently, you're onboard an Orb aircraft. We found you lying on the beach, and we decided to bring you with us."

"What does Orb want with me?" Athrun asked, eyes narrow; he recognized her, from their time on a certain deserted island. "Or am I in the custody of the Earth Forces?" he added with a smile.

"You know better than that," she replied. She leaned toward him, and her eyes resembled those of Snake when he was angry; in other words, very frightening. "There's something I have to know. Were you the one who destroyed the Strike?"

Athrun was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head. "It was me," he whispered.

Cagalli felt as if someone had punched her. "What happened to the pilot?" she demanded. "And where's the Stormhawk? Did they eject, like you? Or-" She broke off. "We couldn't find Kira or Kevin. _Anywhere!_ Say something!"

"They're gone," Athrun said after a long silence. "Because I took their lives." His eyes vanished into shadow. "That's right, I did. I pinned the Strike with my Aegis, then blew up; and that fancy suit was caught in the blast. I don't see how either of them could have escaped."

She grabbed his collar, stuck the gun against his chin, then slammed him down on the bed. _"Murderer!"_ Cagalli turned away and slammed her fist into the wall, enraged and grief-stricken beyond words. "It's not fair!"

Athrun pushed himself back up. "By why... am I still alive?" His eyes saw the recent past, not the wall in front of him. "I guess it's because I got out just in time." Cagalli suddenly whirled and pointed the revolver at him again. "Or maybe... _you're_ destined to finish me," he finished sardonically.

"Kira... took too many risks," she burst out, "didn't always know what he was doing, and always cried! But he was kind! _He was a nice guy!"_ Somehow, the idea that Snake could truly be dead hadn't quite sunk in yet; perhaps because he'd come back so many times before.

"Yeah, I know," Athrun said with a quiet chuckle. "Sounds like Kira hadn't changed a bit."

Cagalli's eyes widened. "You knew...?"

"He was a sentimental crybaby," he said, mind on the past. "And he was smart, but he didn't think things through."

"Did you actually know Kira?"

He nodded. "Yes, we were... close, ever since the days when we were kids. It was three of us, Kira, Kevin, and I. We were the best of friends once... though I suspect Kevin was always the smartest of us."

"That's crazy!" Cagalli blurted. "If you were such good friends, how...?"

Athrun looked away. "We parted as friends, and when we met again, we were enemies." He remembered their battles, and suddenly he looked her in the eye again. "I tried to convince them to join us, over and over! They were Coordinators, understand, that's where they belonged! But they just wouldn't listen!"

"How could you possibly expect Kevin to join you after what ZAFT did to him?" she demanded furiously. "You know what they made him into!"

That deflated him for a moment. "I didn't know then," he said softly. "I had no idea what had been done to him. But that must have been a rogue operation, ZAFT _couldn't_ have done something like that!" Athrun's voice rose again. "Don't you get it? They weren't on my side anymore! I had no _choice_ but to kill them!"

"You idiot! How could you come up with something so stupid?" Cagalli grabbed his shirt. "How could you do something so terrible?"

"He killed Nicol right before my eyes!" he shouted. "Nicol was sixteen; he loved the piano! He only fought to protect the PLANTs and Kira just cut him down!"

"Kira only fought to protect others, too," she sobbed. "But that doesn't explain why he had to pay with his life! And at the hands of his best friend!" As Athrun, too, began to break down, she continued relentlessly. "One guy takes a life for vengeance... then someone else takes _his_ life... How is that kind of crooked thinking ever going to bring about peace?"

Neither of them could say anything coherent for several minutes, until something suddenly came to Athrun's mind; a memory of when the Blitz exploded... and he froze. "Oh... no..." he muttered, barely audible. "I... I killed... the wrong guy..."

Cagalli glanced up, tears still going down her face. "What?"

"It wasn't Kira who did it... it was Kevin... Only that new mobile suit could have fired that shot..."

She clenched her teeth. "Well, if it helps, you got him, too!" she said furiously. "All that was left of his mobile suit was a hand!"

He seemed hardly aware of her presence. "He swore to kill me... but I killed him instead... and Kira, too... for the wrong reason..."

Athrun collapsed on the bed, blinded by the confusing tragedy he had played a key part in.

* * *

Kevin Walker stood close to the railing overlooking the lake behind the Clyne Residence, deep in thought. For the first time in months, he appeared like a normal teenager. An observer, seeing his left profile, would simply have seen what everyone else did during the time he was on Heliopolis: your average sixteen-year-old student, without a trace of the lethal potential he had revealed on that fateful day. 

Turn to the right, however, and one saw a shadow of the trials Snake had been through; for the PLANTs did not have the sophisticated medical technology Orb had used to craft the synthetic face he'd worn over the tough metal. For now, it was as well that he and Kira remained in seclusion, since Kevin would have inspired terror in a rattlesnake with his face alone.

So he stood, the man with half a face, wearing a copy of his old black civilian attire, minus the weaponry; without which he felt very strange. Kevin wondered what was happening on Earth, and if the _Archangel_ had reached Alaska safely... and how Cagalli must be reacting to the news of their "deaths".

"You are troubled," Reverend Malchio said, coming up behind him.

"Doesn't take a monk to figure that out," Snake said calmly.

"You have great darkness in your past, do you not, Mr. Walker?"

"Yes, you could say that." He idly flexed his hands, within which lay deadly weapons. "You probably know by now, Reverend, that Walker is not the name I was born with; it was merely the first alias among what became many, the one I used in Copernicus."

"Yet you now see it to be your _true_ name, Baron," Malchio noted. "Does your past truly mean so little to you?"

"The past is dead, Kevin Onishi is dead; _today_ is what matters." Kevin finally glanced over his shoulder. "I was never very close to my parents, Reverend, and in light of more recent discoveries, I'm even less so. The only part of my past that matters is a very good friend of mine, whom I grew up with, and I fear is very much distressed by my apparent death. And that of Kira; they, too, became quite close. So no, the past means little to me, and the only name that matters is the one my shipmates gave me."

"Some call you 'Snake', does they not?' The monk tilted his head. "A curious name, particularly for someone once known as the Crimson Tiger."

"Jack Carter is also dead," Snake said quietly. "And I have not dared use my powers in a long time. So they call me Snake, in honor of another name I once had, among ZAFT, and my special-operations past. They call my kind 'snake eaters'."

"You seem to glory in some parts of your past, yet the very powers that allowed you to survive it make you wish for death. A contradiction, I would think."

"We all have our peculiarities. And I gather Kira has been telling tales, since Lacus doesn't know my rather frightful past."

Malchio nodded. "He, too, does not wish you to die, Baron. He doesn't understand why you would choose death, when there is so much good you could do."

"Good is for heroes," Snake said, turning around to face him. "I'm a lot of things, Reverend, but I am _not_ a hero. ZAFT made me a monster, named me for a monster, and a monster I am. I'll do my part in this war, but my aim is not altruistic; all I care about is avenging myself on ZAFT. Don't bother telling me it's not the right thing to do, because I really couldn't care less. Once I've done what I can, all I want is death, because that's the only way I'll have peace, and it's the only proper end for a monster."

"You are what you make of yourself," the Reverend said quietly. "ZAFT has only made you into a monster if that is what _you_ chose to make of yourself. You have the power to make a difference, yet you seem eager to throw it all away."

"You know, I'm getting really tired of people saying I 'have the power to make a difference'," Kevin said, irritated. "A difference, sure; but someone with my lethal talents and bio-modifications has no right to exist."

Malchio smiled slightly. "So, then, you think a gun is evil simply because it exists? That just because a weapon is more powerful than any other, it is inherently malignant?"

That gave Snake pause; he'd never thought of it that way before. "You, Reverend," he said after a long moment's thought, "are making a scary kind of sense. I never thought to apply the 'guns don't kill people, people kill people' argument to myself." He raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that ZAFT created the weapon, but it's what the person pulling the trigger uses it for that matters?"

The blind monk nodded. "You are a wise and perceptive man, Baron, but you are somewhat blind when looking at yourself. If you had truly thought about it before, instead of simply coming to the instinctive conclusion that you were an abomination, you would have reached this conclusion yourself long ago." He touched the young man's shoulder. "Don't waste your life, Baron. I won't try to tell you right and wrong; seek your vengeance if you must. But remember that you are not yourself inherently evil, and that there are those who would greatly mourn your passing."

Kevin nodded slowly. "I see. Thank you, Reverend; you may have just saved my life." The depression that had been with him for so long began to lift, as he once more considered the prospect of a future that held something besides death. "I suppose when in doubt, I should visit monasteries," he cracked, sense of humor also returning from its brief leave of absence following a certain very large explosion.

"Whatever works, Baron," Malchio said, smiling. "Remember that _you_ control your destiny, not ZAFT or anyone else."

* * *

Kira was quite startled when next he saw his friend; he couldn't remember seeing him that cheerful since they parted in Copernicus, three years before. "Kevin...?" 

Kevin smiled. (_Reverend Malchio just got my head straightened out,)_ he said silently. (_I guess there _is_ something to the idea that monastic orders teach you more than just how to wear really scratchy robes and concentrate on nothing.)_

Taking the cue that he wanted the conversation discrete, Kira replied in the same manner. (_He finally convinced you what Cagalli and I have telling you the whole time, huh?)_

Snake shook his head, amused at himself. (_I've always held to the idea that guns don't kill people, _people_ kill people, but for some reason it never occurred to me to equate what ZAFT turned me into with a gun. Doesn't matter what _they_ wanted to do with me; or even that I _did_ obey their orders for a time. What matters is what _I_ choose to do with the skills and weapons they gave me.)_ He grinned, a feral expression that boded ill for his enemies. (_And I choose to annihilate my creators. Don't misunderstand me, tovarisch; my attitudes are largely the same. Our monkish friend has simply convinced me to stop trying to blow myself to bits.)_

Another voice interrupted them. "Well, hello, Kevin. It's been a long time."

They both turned. "Hello, Uncle Siegel," Kevin said. "I hoped we'd meet again; I apologize for my rather abrupt disappearing act, but it wasn't exactly my idea." He nodded at Kira. "This is Kira Yamato; until recently, pilot of GAT-X105 Strike, and, like me, an old -one might say former- friend of your daughter's fiancé."

"Yes, I know," Siegel Clyne said with a nod. He shook Kira's hand. "Good to meet you; my daughter has told me about you. I want to thank you for rescuing her, both from the Debris Belt and your own friends. It must have been difficult for you."

"It wasn't easy," Kira admitted. "But I did what I thought was right."

"And we even managed to get out of it without being shot to pieces," Snake added cheerfully. "A near thing, since Commander Le Creuset decided it would be a good time for a sneak attack; were it not for Lacus returning the favor, we might not have made it." He unconsciously brushed a hand over the metal side of his face. "By the way, Uncle Siegel, do you know what became of my mobile suit? I assume that it survived the blast."

"It did," Clyne answered. "And a ZAFT team salvaged it about an hour after Reverend Malchio recovered you; it's currently being repaired, upgraded, and studied at a secure facility."

Kevin muttered something Russian under his breath. "I see. I'll have to deal with that situation sooner or later, preferably before they manage to duplicate the technology."

"Yes, well, speaking of ZAFT, there's something I wanted to ask you about." Clyne pulled a photograph from a pocket and handed it to him. "Can you tell me what this is?"

The super-soldier examined it; it was a picture of himself, about three years younger, wearing the white uniform of a ZAFT Commander, like Le Creuset. "Ah," he said calmly. "An old photo, obviously; I swore never to wear that uniform again if I could possibly avoid it." He looked up at Siegel. "That was taken three years ago, on a small space station at L2, beyond the Moon's orbit. That's when I was still Commander of the experimental unit being formed there, the Destroyers."

Clyne stiffened. "You were part of Project ABADDON? But how? Why?"

Snake smiled thinly. "It wasn't voluntary, I assure you. That's why I disappeared right after my parents' deaths; the madman in charge of the Project, codename Oracle, kidnapped me, systematically tortured me for a period of about two weeks, then brainwashed me, wiped my memory, and put me through the augmentation process. Voila, Commander Walker, codename Hydra, was born, a loyal ZAFT assassin... until the chemicals wore off and I tore everyone to pieces, before setting off the station's nuclear self-destruct device."

Siegel blinked in shock. "I had no idea Patrick's pet project used unwilling subjects... I can't say I was displeased when the program mysteriously came to an end, but I never suspected it happened like that. No wonder you fought against ZAFT." He shook himself, then produced another photo. "Perhaps that has something to do with _this_."

Kevin took it, then froze, and Kira took a look at it. He saw instantly what had caused such an odd reaction; for while the uniform was the red of ZAFT special pilots, this appeared to be another image of Kevin... only from mere days earlier. "Kevin...? What on earth...?"

"I can't see how it could be you," Clyne said. "It was taken two days ago, at Carpentaria. But this pilot bears an uncanny resemblance to you."

"So he does exist," Snake murmured. "They actually went and did it, those crazy bastards." He looked up. "That's not me. But we share DNA."

"A twin?" Kira asked. Then he remembered something. "But I thought your twin was dead."

"He is," his friend confirmed. "But the person in that picture is no older than three years. He's a clone, made from my genetic material."

For the second time in as many minutes, Siegel Clyne was startled by something that had been done right under his nose, while he was Chairman of the Supreme Council. "They _cloned_ you?"

"Yeah." Snake studied the photo. "There was talk of it while I was with the Project; since I had turned out to be the best of the best, the most lethal human being in history, they decided it might be a good idea to make more of me. Apparently, they finally did, sometime before I set off that nuke and destroyed the samples. They've taken so many samples of me I'm not sure I'm all here," he added with a brief smile. "They probably used an RNA sample, as well, which means he has all my skills up to that point. For example, I wouldn't want to try fencing with him, because we'd be evenly matched. In fact, he might even be better, if he's kept in better practice than me." He nodded slowly. "Kira, remember that feeling I had near the _Vosgulov_, during the battle where the Blitz was destroyed? The clone must have been aboard; what I felt was a duplicate of myself, with a mind similar enough to sense."

"How do you know there's just the one?" Clyne asked. "Couldn't they have just cloned the clone?"

"No," Kevin replied emphatically. "There are enough dangers cloning the original; clone the clone, and you greatly increase the risk of nasty, very possibly fatal errors in the genetic code." He shook his head. "And even if they _were_ crazy enough to try it, this one would be the only copy with a complete augmentation package; the specs and the know-how were lost in that fusion blast."

"Where did you get these?" Kira asked Siegel.

"I happened to be making a search of ZAFT personnel records, and I came across a familiar face in a classified file; even _I_ couldn't access it. That's what triggered my curiosity in the matter." Clyne chuckled. "Imagine my surprise when I found a _second_ file with your face. It was labeled 'John Carter'."

"Cute," Snake said sardonically. "He took one of my own aliases for his name. Appropriate, that he be the true Crimson Tiger-" Abruptly, he stopped, and his face went white.

Kira looked at him, frightened by the reaction; he'd never seen Snake scared before. "Kevin?"

"He's got one thing I don't," he whispered. "One ability I don't have." Kevin turned slowly to face his friend. "His DNA and RNA are from before I lost control of my zoanthrope powers. Which means..."

Kira flinched; he didn't need to hear the rest of that sentence. He'd seen Kevin Walker transform on a handful of occasions, and he was _scary_ when in full control.

"Uncle Siegel," Kevin said slowly, "I'll stay here long enough to recover my strength. But I cannot remain out of this war for long; I cannot in good conscience allow Jack Carter to roam the world unfettered. I don't know what he's been up to, but if he's got all my power, combined with _true_ loyalty to ZAFT, I have to stop him."

Clyne nodded. "How can we help?"

"Get me better."

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has lost half his face, and his true connection to Lacus Clyne has been revealed; or has it? Some things have yet to be revealed. 

Now the identity of Jack Carter, the man Rau Le Creuset and Invictus discussed just after Heliopolis, has been exposed. Is he truly the only clone of Kevin Walker?

Okay, I realize this update is a little faster than normal, but there didn't seem to be much I needed to change, and there were a few questions I wanted to answer quickly; I'll get to that in a moment. I should also mention that I kind of skip over the events on the _Archangel_ from Phase 31- 33, as they have, to my mind, little that's really important to my version of events. It picks up again as of Phase 34.

Now, to the responses section. First, Mr. n/a, about six months ago I would have agreed with you. Since then, however, I've found that I approve of the Custom variants of at least the Wing Zero and the Deathscythe -though Altron is a little… iffy- so my decision is made. What we have here is a simple difference of opinion.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, you've just seen what happened to Kevin in the aftermath of his machine's malfunctions; next chapter you'll see what's done regarding the N-jammer Cancellers. Stay tuned.

Shinji Ikari, I do seem to have a knack for Kevin/Dearka battles, don't I? But, of course, that was the last one. The next time Buster flies, it's to _protect_ the _Archangel_.

I'm pleased you think I pulled of the battle itself well; that is always a little tricky, so it's good to hear I did this one right.

As you can see, Athrun figured out the truth on his own; as for Kira, though, he's got a lot of other things on his mind about now. He'll be just a little busy for awhile to really think about that particular incident, I think.

And, no, Kevin doesn't end up using the Drake Ryan identity. That's a relic from a previous notion I had, where Kevin _didn't_ end up in the PLANTs. I think this plan worked out better, in the long run; otherwise getting certain modifications for the Stormhawk might have been a little… dicey.

What I meant with Kevin "not being in position", by the way, was that it's just a little hard to kill someone from several million kilometers away, even for a Destroyer.

Glad you liked the Kevin/Mu interaction, but that leads me into an area that apparently requires explanation. Some of it is obvious, from the events of this chapter -and I trust I came up with at least a semi-believable reason for it- but others… well, here goes.

To begin with, I'm pretty sure I'm actually reading a little more into the zoanthrope senses than is canonical (all that is specifically stated is that they can sense each other), but, as you said, it's originality that matters. Now, for specifics.

Kevin does not have am empathic bond with Cagalli per se; it's just that he knows her well enough to read her emotions, _if_ she is deliberately "broadcasting", so to speak. As with most people, under normal circumstances she merely registers as a presence to him.

The connection with Kira is completely different. Thanks to various factors already mentioned -zoanthrope empathic abilities, embryonic genetic modifications, and cybernetic augmentation- in addition to the not-yet-revealed secrets of _Kira's_ birth, the two have formed a sort of mind-to-mind connection, which was first hinted at in Chapter 7 (when they entered the Berserker state simultaneously, with Kira's seemingly triggered Kevin's change). Given the other psychosomatic phenomena already spoken of in the series, like Le Creuset being able to sense Mu and Kira, and vis-versa, I thought it was plausible. This, by the way, is what I meant about the Kira/Kevin interaction becoming more important later on. They interact a lot more from here on out.

Now, as to your questions: a "Captain's Mast" is non-judicial punishment at ship-or-shore station; unlike a Court Martial, the next level of punishment, a Captain's Mast can only restrict the offender to ship -or station, if on shore duty- or add extra duty. Not pleasant, but not as serious as a Court Martial.

Amazing the trivia one picks up.

About the weaponry, I should first point out that the Stormhawk's azure beams were merely my own little touch (suggested by Dragoon Swordsman) which has nothing to do with the actual Wing Zero. To be honest, I have no idea what color the Wing Zero's beams were in the series.

That said, you are correct that the Balaena cannons are the weapons in the Freedom's wings; however, they're plasma cannons, not beam weapons (recoil for those is at least semi-believable, since plasma cannons are not technically energy weapons).

In case you're interested, the weapons on the Freedom's hips are Xiphias railguns. A general rule of thumb for figuring out what kind of weapon is being used in Gundam SEED is this: green streaks are basic beam weapons, yellow are always projectile weapons (machine guns, rail- and linear guns, et cetera), and red with blue corona are either hyper-impulse (like the Agni), plasma, or positron (like the _Archangel_'s Lohengrin; in other words, antimatter. Nasty stuff, no wonder Strike gets vaped.) Using that as guide -as far as I can tell, it holds true in every case- you can tell if a given weapon is energy, kinetic, or something like plasma or antimatter.

If you have any more questions about the background of Gundam SEED -history, technology, that sort of thing- I can probably answer them. When writing this story, I exhaustively researched the source material, via the website and the fact that I have all but Phases 16, 19, 20, 23, 24, and 27 on tape or DVD; so if you've got any questions, just let me know.

That brings me to a question of my own, by the way: you mention that Kevin's assassination of Garcia saving the Junk Guild and various others some grief. Does that mean that Garcia actually survived Artemis, or what? I'd think he was killed, since a Moebius smashed right into the control room he was occupying, but your phrasing indicates otherwise.

Well, now that I've spent an estimated ninety minutes -and about 1000 words- on the notes, I think I've finally said everything that needed to be said. Let me know just horrible this chapter was (or, hopefully, the reverse). -Solid Shark


	23. Chapter 23: Warriors Betrayed

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Invictus, and Jack Carter

* * *

Athrun Zala, travel case in hand, walked Carpentaria Base's halls, making his way to the airfield for his sunset flight back to the PLANTs. 

His mind was anywhere but there, though; his mind's eye saw two young pilots, once his best friends, and now dead, at his hand. And he'd even gone after the wrong one, though the culprit of Nicol's death had been caught in the blast anyway.

Since being returned to ZAFT territory by the Orb rescue forces, Athrun had relived those moments many times, when his Aegis detonated, and it all now seemed futile. As Cagalli had said, vengeance was an endless cycle. _Unless you're Kevin Walker,_ he thought with a small measure of humor. _When he took his revenge, there wasn't anybody left to exact vengeance on _him._ I guess he never learned there's such a thing as overkill._

Athrun absently saluted a red-uniformed soldier, then did a double take as the face registered. "_Kevin?_ What on earth-"

The other pilot looked puzzled for a moment, then laughed. "Oh, I see. You got the wrong guy, Commander Zala; the name's Jack Carter. But you were close: Commander Walker and I share the same DNA. I guess you met him before ABADDON blew up in our faces?"

His eyes narrowed. "You share DNA? You mean you're..."

"That's right, a clone." Carter chuckled. "Believe me, I ain't very happy about it either; you know what it's like to be born in the shadow of another, just a replica of his DNA? I kinda wish the traitor hadn't forced him underground years ago; we might be on the same side, but if there were just one of us, _I'd_ be the 'real' Walker.

"_Underground? On the same side...? But Kevin swore to _destroy_ ZAFT..._ Then the truth dawned on Athrun._ No wonder. Only three people are in a position to dispute the official record, and Commander Le Creuset, Yzak, and I are still on Earth. So they think Kevin was betrayed by one of his people, and... wait a minute..._

He looked up. "Wait a minute. How can you want to kill him when he's already dead?"

Carter looked surprised. "Dead? Oh, no, he's not. My cursed fate, my genetic origins, guarantee that I'd know if Commander Walker were dead. I'd feel it, no matter where he is. I even felt his presence, not long ago; though what he was doing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is beyond me."

Athrun was stunned; he had been absolutely certain Kevin Walker perished two weeks earlier, and that had been apparently validated by how little Orb found of the Stormhawk. But on the other hand, it _did_ seem strange that there wasn't more debris. And now this clone had told him matter-of-factly that the super-soldier had lived through the explosion. Some kind of psychic link, he supposed.

He felt a sudden revulsion for this... this _thing_ that masqueraded as his old friend. He felt sick, seeing the final, undeniable proof that Kevin's claims about what ZAFT did to him were true. First they tortured him and rebuilt him into a super-soldier, then they _cloned_ him...!

"Excuse me," Athrun muttered, and walked away, Carter watching him with what seemed to be amusement; he didn't want anything more to do with this filth, especially since he was on the verge of physically attacking the repulsive thing. Given that this version of Kevin also appeared to be augmented, the assault would be fatal both to his career and to himself.

_So it's all true…_ he thought._ Everything Cagalli accused ZAFT of is true… and that means_ I've_ been blind…_ He remembered what had happened when he left the Orb aircraft.

_"The ZAFT craft has arrived," Cagalli's bodyguard, Kisaka, said, standing at the Infirmary hatch._

_Athrun looked up, confused. "What's going on?"_

_"We can't return to Orb territory with a ZAFT soldier onboard," Cagalli explained flatly. "So we're handing you over to your own people."_

_"I see." He stood, careful of his broken arm, and walked over to the hatch. "Thank you," he said quietly. "Though I imagine you'd rather I _hadn't_ made it." _

_She was silent for several moments, but finally walked over to him. "Take this," she said, pulling an amulet from around her neck and putting it around his. "This amulet protects the wearer."_

_Athrun looked at it, bemused. "But… why? I… I killed…"_

_"I don't want anyone else to get hurt," she said simply. "Even you." Then Cagalli's voice hardened. "But understand something, Athrun: if Kevin was still here, he wouldn't be so merciful. He'd try to kill you… and this time, I wouldn't lift a finger to stop him."_

With those chilling words still in his ears, Athrun had then gone over to the waiting ZAFT aircraft, where he informed Yzak that he'd destroyed the Strike, as he promised… and the last remaining Destroyer.

But it wasn't something he was proud of. Not anymore.

* * *

Athrun was more or less back to normal a few minutes later, far away from Carter, and his memories, when he noticed Yzak leaning against a wall ahead of him. 

The white-haired pilot looked at him. "Don't worry, my turn will come soon," he said acidly. "How could they pick _you_ for the Special Forces?"

Athrun had been wondering that himself, ever since Le Creuset visited him and informed him of the transfer; he also wondered about the Order of the Nebula he'd received. Nonetheless, he held out a hand. "Sorry about how things turned out; thanks for all your help."

Yzak looked surprised, then suspicious, but shook his hand anyway. Then Athrun picked up his case and walked on past. "Next time, _I'll_ be the one in charge," he said over his shoulder. "Stay alive until then, okay?"

Athrun cracked a slight smile. "You got it, Yzak."

* * *

Thousands of kilometers away, Natarle Badgiruel set down her gear bag at the _Archangel_'s airlock, turned to the Captain, and saluted. "Goodbye, Captain." 

"I want to thank you for everything, Lieutenant Badgiruel," Ramius said, returning the salute. "I hope we meet again soon, someplace other than the battlefield." Despite the numerous clashes they'd had over command decisions, she was sorry to see the Lieutenant go; she'd made an excellent combat commander.

"If possible, once the war is over."

"That would be nice." Ramius glanced at Flay, who was also transferring out. "Take care of her."

"Right." Badgiruel grabbed Flay's hand, and led her down the airlock corridor.

Flay struggled, looking back over her shoulder. "Sai!"

Sai reached out a hand. "Flay!" Then he drew back, looking disturbed, and Birdy, Kira's robotic pet that he'd more or less inherited, landed on his shoulder.

"Maybe I should go down to the personnel office," Mu La Flaga said with a slight smile at Ramius; he, too, had been given orders elsewhere. "Give them a piece of my mind."

Ramius shrugged sadly. "I doubt it would do any good."

"Why do they want me as an instructor in California, at a time like this?" La Flaga demanded.

She smiled. "Well, with you teaching I'm sure we'll see a lot less rookie casualties in the field."

"This is just-! Urgh!" The Hawk snatched his cap off and clenched his fingers in it, furious.

The Captain put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on; you're gonna be late," she said quietly, tears in her eyes. She saluted. "Thank you, for everything you've done."

La Flaga put his cap back on and saluted, face set. "And the same to you... Ma'am." He turned and headed out, exchanging salutes with the crewmembers seeing him off.

His bad temper continued as he made his way to JOSH-A Base's dock; the Board of Inquiry they'd faced still made his blood boil when he thought of it. That they'd _dared_ to blame Kira for the disasters which had befallen the ship, simply because he was a Coordinator...! Or the Captain, for that matter.

The only silver lining, as La Flaga saw it, was that Kevin Walker's name had been kept out of it completely. After his death, it quickly became apparent that Snake was an even better hacker than they'd thought, for searches of the computers revealed the _Archangel_ itself was completely unaware that anyone named Kevin Walker or a mobile suit called Sturm Falke had ever been aboard. Even the surveillance footage was skillfully altered, so that the only reason anyone knew for sure Snake had been present was their own memories.

It was a crime, La Flaga thought, that Snake should die and then simply vanish as if he'd never been, as anonymous in death as in life. There was absolutely no evidence that he'd ever existed outside of Orb. But it seemed that was how the young Baron had wanted it, and the hearing would have been far worse had the top brass at JOSHUA known a survivor from Project ABADDON had been aboard.

He was momentarily amused by contemplating how Snake would have reacted to Captain William Sutherland. Probably blown out his brains, La Flaga judged. He was not one to take insult lightly.

The Hawk of Endymion joined Badgiruel and Flay at the dock, noting with surprise the number of people moving around. "What's going on here?"

"I guess they're still sending troops off to Panama." Badgiruel leaned forward and looked at Flay's transfer papers. "The ship you'll be on is heading in that direction. Where's yours, Commander?"

La Flaga glanced over. "Hm? Oh, I'm with this little lady right here."

"Is that right," she murmured. She saluted. "Goodbye, Commander."

"Yeah." The Commander took her hand. "You take care, Lieutenant." He touched Flay's shoulder, and they moved off into the crowd.

* * *

Millions of kilometers above, Kira and Kevin, still very much alive, rested near the Clyne Residence's back railing, overlooking the water; Kira sat on a bench, and Snake stood still and silent a couple meters away. Both of them were thinking of Earth. 

Lacus came up behind them. "It's almost time for the rain," she said. "Would you like to come in for tea?"

Kira looked at her silently for a moment, then got up and followed her to the gazebo-like structure; Snake, however, remained where he was, hands behind his back and eyes focused on something far away. _Cagalli... I'll be back, as soon as I can. Don't give up on us, okay?_ But he knew, inwardly, that she already had; the evidence of their deaths was about as solid as could be without their actual bodies.

A few minutes later, Kevin joined his friends inside, just ahead of the rain. But he was still quiet, still worried about those left behind on Earth. His instincts told him something major was brewing, and he had a terrible feeling it would endanger the _Archangel_.

While Reverend Malchio, also present, sipped his tea, Kira simply stared out at the rain; Lacus looked at him, curious. "Do you like the rain, Kira?"

"I was just thinking about how strange this all is," he said after a time. "I was thinking... what am I doing here?"

(_That makes two of us, tovarisch,_) Kevin said silently.

"If you had your choice, where would you want to be?" Lacus asked sensibly.

Kira shrugged. "I really don't know."

"Do you... dislike it here, Kira?"

He looked uncertain. "Is okay... for me to even be here?"

She nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, yes! Of course it's okay!"

"The time will come when you know where you should be going," Malchio interjected quietly. "And then you'll know what you should be doing. For that is what it means to be the bearers... of the Seed."

(_More of that "Seed" stuff,_) Snake commented. (_Balderdash._)

He himself had no doubts about his ultimate destination; even now his hands were itching to grasp a weapon, or take hold of a mobile suit's controls once again. He had once had very bad luck with mobile suits, but Stormhawk fitted him like a glove, and he greatly wished to have it in his possession again.

Snake idly fingered a knife that lay concealed within his sleeve; he refused to go anywhere completely unarmed, and it happened that a knife he kept in his boot had remained with him after the Aegis' destruction and his own arrival at the Clyne Residence. _They used to call me Blade because of these. Little did they know that it was but a small part of my repertoire. And little do they know that I still live... I hope to inform them personally soon._

About an hour later, Siegel Clyne joined them. "It's just not possible," he said, shaking his head. "Not even if you wanted to use the Reverend's shuttle. Flights for Earth simply aren't being allowed to take off."

Before anyone could reply, a comm display appeared on one of the glass walls. _"A call for Mr. Siegel from Ms. Eileen Canaver," _a voice announced.

"Yes?"

Eileen Canaver, an ally of his on the Council, appeared on the screen. _"I have bad news, Clyne,"_ she said without preamble. _"It seems that Zala's deceived us."_

Clyne looked at her sharply. "How so?"

_"Panama _isn't_ Operation Spit Break's target; it's Alaska."_

"Alaska?"

Kira's eyes went wide, and his tea cup dropped, shattering itself and its saucer; beside him, Snake went rigid. "Kira?" Lacus hurried to his side, concerned.

_"Earth Alliance Headquarters,"_ Canaver was saying._ "The Council didn't approve any of this."_

Both pilots were remembering their comrades still on Earth, still with the _Archangel_... which had been en route to Alaska when they departed. If the huge forces arrayed for Operation Spit Break attacked there, with its defenses stripped to supplement Panama's, their friends would be...

(_We've got to do something,_) Snake told Kira.

(_I know. But what?_)

That would take much thinking.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Lacus reentered the gazebo, where Kira and Snake stood, their backs to her. "Kira?" 

He turned, and she was surprised to see tears going down his face. "It's time... I left here," Kira said quietly.

"Oh..." Lacus tilted her head. "Where were you thinking of going?"

"I have to return to Earth," he said simply; beside him, Snake remained silent. He hadn't said a word in hours.

"Why?" she asked. "Even if you go, you can't end the war by yourselves."

Kira nodded. "I know. But I can't just stay here any longer, doing nothing." His voice sounded distant. "If you just did nothing, because you thought it wouldn't help, then you'd end up doing _less_ than nothing. For nothing would change... and nothing would end."

Lacus slowly nodded. "Will you be fighting against the ZAFT forces again?" He shook his head. "Then... the Earth Forces?"

Kira shook his head again. "I now believe that... I have a much better understanding, of what we should be fighting for."

"All right," she said finally. "I understand." She gestured for them to follow her. "Come with me."

Kevin spoke his first words in hours. "Where are we going?"

"First, to get you two into disguises. Then we're going to the place where, among other things, your mobile suit is stored."

A feral light lit his eyes. "Lead on, Lacus."

* * *

Minutes later, Snake had disappeared into a side room, and a butler held out a red ZAFT uniform. "Please put this on, Kira," Lacus said. She turned to the butler. "I'd like you to inform them that from now on, Lacus Clyne will be singing 'The Song of Peace'." 

At that moment, Kevin stepped into the hall, and Kira raised an eyebrow at his attire. He wore a white ZAFT commander's uniform, like the one from the photo Siegel had shown them days before. "Snake? I thought you swore you wouldn't wear that again."

"If I had a choice," Snake reminded him. "But it seems we have a golden opportunity here! As Siegel said, ZAFT has no idea I've gone rogue, because of how all-encompassing that blast was two and a half years ago. So here's the plan: I lead the way into the facility, and I tell the soldiers there that I've only just managed to return, after over two years running from various groups like the Earth Forces. I give them Michael Carnehan's name as the traitor, explain that my security codes aren't current for obvious reasons, and that my clearances are still in effect. As the Commander of what was supposed to be the most elite unit in ZAFT, that should get us through without any problems."

Kira looked at him incredulously for a moment. "You should have been a spy," he said.

Kevin grinned. "Didn't I mention that?"

* * *

Within another hour, the three of them were at the ZAFT facility Lacus had indicated. Without hesitation, Kevin walked to the entrance; with the white uniform and half his face missing, he was quite an intimidating sight. 

"My name is Commander Kevin Walker," he said smartly to the guards, raising his hand in the peculiar ZAFT salute. "I'm here to escort Miss Clyne and this pilot on an inspection tour of the mobile suit hanger."

The guards returned the salute, looking surprised. "Commander Walker! Reports said you were dead, sir; some kind of betrayal-"

"Yes, yes, I know all about that," Kevin said, rolling his eyes; behind him, Kira watched appreciatively as his friend flawlessly played the part of the irritated commander. "Believe me, Trooper, I took great pleasure in killing the traitor responsible for nearly blowing me to atoms." His face hardened. "You can list Michael Carnehan as KIA, as well as a traitor. I'm afraid his body is unrecoverable, but that's because the fool set the building I confronted him in ablaze, and I barely escaped it."

"Yes, sir!" The guard turned to open the door, then hesitated. "Uh, sir, I'm afraid your security codes aren't current-"

"Of course they aren't current, you idiot!" Kevin roared. "I just spent the better part of three years on Earth, running from Naturals in the Earth Alliance and even Blue Cosmos, so of course I've been out of touch! But you'll find my clearances are still in effect."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, Commander Walker." The soldier opened the heavy door. "You may proceed, Commander. And, if I may say so, it's good to have you back, sir."

"Thank you, Trooper." Looking very scary with his metal half-face, Kevin led Kira and Lacus into the high-security building.

It was all he could to do not to burst out laughing. (_Oh, that was fun,_) he told Kira over their link. (_You've got no idea how amusing that was, having people twice my age or more leaping to obey my orders. A pity I hate ZAFT, because I could really get to like that._)

(_Except that you hate being in charge of anything,_) Kira replied, amused.

"This way," Lacus said, leading them deeper into the facility; her presence and Snake's white uniform got them past the other checkpoints without resorting to the old "scary screaming superior officer" act.

The final door opened, and the three glided in, coming to a rest in the middle of a catwalk. Then spotlights turned on, and Kira inhaled sharply at the sight before them. "A Gundam!" There was no mistaking it; in basic shape, it closely resembled the Strike, with a more streamlined look, nastier weapons, and a pair of wings mounted on the back.

"Actually, that's not what it's called," Lacus corrected with a smile. "This is the ZGMF-X10A Freedom." She giggled. "But you know, Gundam _does_ sound more powerful."

"It's an acronym," Kevin explained absently. "Stands for 'General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver system'; Kira saw it on the Strike's startup screen and dubbed it 'Gundam'."

She nodded at the explanation, and went on. "Under orders from Chairman Zala, ZAFT engineers designed a mobile suit with the same capabilities as the Earth Forces mobile suits they captured, then added state-of-the-art technology to it." Lacus abruptly pointed over at the second machine in the hanger. "There's yours, Kevin; I hear they upgraded it since retrieving it."

"I see." Snake narrowed his eyes. "Okay, let's see what they did to it." He floated over to his faithful old Stormhawk.

Kira looked puzzled. "But why... are you letting me...?"

"Because I feel this machine has the power you're going to need. Neither will alone, nor strength alone, will be enough. _That's_ why." Lacus turned to him. "Will this take you where you want to go? Will it help you when you get there?"

He stared at the Freedom. "Neither will alone... nor strength alone," he murmured.

Meanwhile, Snake entered his own cockpit, and instantly saw how much ZAFT had been tinkering with it; the whole cockpit was upgraded, with the same kind of displays and controls he suspected were in the Freedom. The whole interior was more streamlined, with better visibility... which didn't matter when the Zero System was up; he noted that the device had been repaired, and he grimaced. The memory of what happened when Aegis blew...

Kevin settled into the seat and looked over the controls. It was evident that ZAFT had fabricated replacements for the buster rifles; and his beam sabers had been replaced with Lacerta sabers, the same type used by the Freedom. That was not the greatest change, however; there were firing controls for plasma cannons now. They appeared to be mounted within the wings, requiring them to be spread before deploying the weapons.

_Not so bad,_ he thought._ Looks like they're mounted on swivels, too; that should give me three-sixty degree coverage when in mobile armor mode._ Not so in mobile suit mode, of course; if he attempted to fire them in any position other than over the shoulder, he'd run the risk of blowing himself up, instead.

"N-jammer canceler?" Snake saw the new switch, and he realized that the true power of his mobile suit had been revived. "That means... the fission plant is operational again. No more need to worry about power..." He flipped the N-jammer canceler switch, then main power; and deep within, nuclear fission began.

Outside, Kira and Lacus drifted over to the Freedom; the pilot had changed into a flight suit. "You're sure?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Lacus said firmly. "From now on, I too will be singing the great song of peace."

(_Poetic,_) Snake said sardonically in Kira's head; he'd "heard" the words over their link. (_But who am I to talk?_)

(_So shut up,_) Kira suggested cheerfully. Aloud, he said, "Be careful."

"I will; you, too, Kira." Unexpectedly, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "My strength goes with you." Kira looked startled for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "And now, you should be on your way." Lacus pushed off and drifted back toward the hanger's hatch.

Kira settled into the Freedom's cockpit, strapped in, and began booting up the systems. He noticed much the same innovations as Kevin had. "N-jammer canceler...? Amazing! It has more than four times the power of the Strike!"

He activated main power, then phase-shift, and watched Lacus disappear, waving, behind the closing hatch. _Neither will alone..._ He pushed the vernier throttle forward. ..._Nor strength alone..._

(_Ready, tovarisch?_) The two of them hardly needed radio at this point, so Snake elected to maintain radio silence.

(_Yeah. Let's go!_)

The airlocks above opened, and the Freedom hurtled straight up, followed closely by the Stormhawk, which faded from view by the time they reached the exit.

So it was that the two GINNs patrolling outside saw only the Freedom as it blurred past. "Whoa!" one of the pilots said, awed.

"What kind of mobile suit was that?" the other asked.

They chased after, and Kira saw them in his rear displays. "Back off! Just let me go!" Then a warning signal got his attention: two GINNs, firing from ahead of him.

He hardly noticed his pursuers vanishing in azure beams behind him; his attention was on the other pair. Flying a dizzying evasive pattern, Kira whipped out a Lacerta saber and sliced off their heads and weapon arms in a fraction of a second, leaving them blind and impotent.

(_I think you're gonna reach Earth before I do,_) he told Snake. (_You've got a higher G tolerance._)

(_I'll make sure things survive till you get there._) Kevin sped off ahead, machine in mobile armor mode and hidden by Mirage Colloid. He would, indeed, reach Earth slightly ahead of Kira, for he could remain conscious under multiples of gravity that would kill normal humans.

On the way, he passed a ZAFT shuttle, and he did a close, invisible flyby. Even the Snake's eyes couldn't transmit the information fast enough to the brain to see who was in the window, but they _could_ record the data in his built-in CPU and display it a moment later. _Athrun? So... you _are_ alive..._

Unheeded, unseen, and unstoppable, Stormhawk hurtled toward its reunion with its mothership.

* * *

Three days later, on Earth, Mu La Flaga led Flay into the line to board their waiting submarine transport, then handed her the boarding papers. "You'll have to show these papers when your turn comes up," he said, and turned away, heading back into the base. 

"What?" Flay called after him.

"Oh, I forgot something," he said with a jaunty wave, and left; in reality, he had the distinct feeling something was about to go very, very wrong.

La Flaga was quite right; not long into his race back through the JOSHUA Base's corridors, alarms began to sound. He stumbled to a halt, cap flying off. "What's that?"

Aboard the _Archangel_, Kuzzey glanced up as he received a message. "Message from the Joint Operations Room, Ma'am!"

Murrue Ramius stared up at Sutherland's image on the comm screen. "Captain Sutherland! What's going on?"

_"JOSHUA Base is under attack,"_ Sutherland replied._ "They tricked us! At the last moment they switched their target here, to JOSHUA, and all our forces are concentrated at Panama!"_

"Orders, Captain?"

"All defense forces are to engage at once! We have to defend Alaska HQ!"

"Yes, sir!" Sutherland's image vanished, and Ramius looked down at Neumann. "Engines at full, Ensign Neumann. We've been given our orders and the _Archangel_ is moving out!"

"You're kidding!" Kuzzey protested. "Without Kira _or_ the Commander?"

The Commander, at that moment, was running through HQ's halls, increasingly confused. "What is going _on_ here? This place is empty!"

He halted after a few more paces, as a strange sensation filled his head. "This feeling... Is Rau Le Creuset here?" La Flaga redoubled his pace; if Le Creuset were indeed within the base itself, he'd have headed straight for one place.

* * *

Snake grimaced as his mobile suit hit atmosphere, and began to ease off on the throttle. A little too slowly, as it turned out; just off the starboard side of the _Archangel_, Stormhawk hit the water with a splash and dove nearly a hundred feet before he could stabilize and climb. 

Ignoring the battle around him, he shot straight into JOSHUA Base; on the way in, he'd seen a white DINN enter the gate, and he wanted to know just what the pilot was up to.

The Hawk dropped the duffel bag and drew a sidearm as he crept to the door of the Joint Operations Room. As he edged around to look in, he saw a white-uniformed silhouette standing over a console. "Well..." the man said softly.

A moment later, Le Creuset spun around and fired a burst from a machine pistol at La Flaga, who rushed into the room, using computer desks for cover. When he took another careful look, Le Creuset could just barely be seen around a corner, weapon raised.

"It's been awhile, Mu La Flaga," he said, sounding strangely amused. "I don't have time for fooling around; though we've just met again, I must apologize for leaving so soon." He smiled. "Though if you're still hanging around, your usefulness to the Earth Forces must be nearly at an end." Le Creuset laughed. "O Hawk of Endymion, how the mighty have fallen!"

CRACK.

Even Rau Le Creuset could be startled, and having a bullet pass a millimeter in front of his nose did it quite nicely. As did the voice that spoke a moment later, sounding puzzled. "I missed?"

La Flaga frowned. That voice sounded familiar, despite the metallic buzz to it. But all that could be seen was another white-uniformed silhouette materializing in the darkness; the right half of the stranger's face glinted slightly in the dimness.

"Commander Walker," Le Creuset said, a trace of respect in his voice. "You do have a way of showing up unexpectedly."

"As do you, Commander Le Creuset." The figure, which held a smoking revolver, nodded slightly. "I'm impressed that you know of me, Commander. And honored to meet you."

"The honor is mine, Commander. Though we may be on different sides, your skills have earned you my respect; and I'll admit I don't much approve of the tactics used to create you... Hydra."

"A name from long ago," the interloper said softly. "It means nothing to me now."

"Oh, I assure you, Commander Walker, it means a great deal to certain people you have caused grief recently," Le Creuset disputed. "I see you finally realized you cannot escape your past merely by closing your eyes to it."

"Lecturing others on how they should live is a bad habit of yours, Commander Le Creuset." Mr. Metal Face (as La Flaga dubbed him in his head) raised the revolver. "I suggest you leave now, Commander; I may respect you, but as you said, we _are_ on opposite sides. And I assure you, I will not miss twice."

"Perhaps we will meet again." The was the sound of rapid footsteps, and Le Creuset was gone.

La Flaga turned his full attention to the newcomer. "Who are you?"

The figure stepped into the light. "Hello, Mu. Nice to see you, too."

The Hawk could not believe his eyes. "_Snake?_ But you're supposed to be- I mean, you-"

"Death doesn't like me, Commander," Snake said with a smile. "You're the man who's famous for making the impossible, possible; I'm the guy who's famous for making the unsurvivable, survivable." He holstered the Colt and clapped the older pilot on the shoulder. "It's a very long story, Commander, and we've got things to do."

La Flaga nodded. "Right; we'd better see what he was up to; _something_ got his attention." He paused on the way over to the console. "By the way, Snake, we heard a scream-"

"The Zero System malfunctioned," Kevin said simply. "Need I say more?"

He winced. "Guess not." The thought of the kinds of twisted images that must have been passing through the super-soldier's mind... And that also explained the missing flesh on the synthetic side of his face.

"This place seems pretty empty," Snake commented reaching the panel. "I mean, isn't this the room from which they're supposed to be directing the battle... Solkin syn!"

"No!" La Flaga saw what had arrested the younger pilot's attention. "A Cyclops? Here?"

"That's... bad," Kevin said, staring at the readout. "I was on summer vacation from the college during the battles at the Grimaldi Front, Commander, and my idea of a vacation was visiting battles. I was _at_ Endymion Crater; barely got out alive. And this thing makes that look like a kitchen appliance..."

Their eyes met, and the Hawk nodded. "We've got to get out of here and warn the _Archangel_. Fast. If the enemy breaches the main gate while we're still within ten kilometers of this thing...!"

Snake's features took on a positively terrifying expression, and for the first time the Hawk of Endymion was truly face-to-face with the deadly warrior once known as the Crimson Tiger. It was a most frightening experience, and La Flaga fervently hoped Kevin didn't lose it completely and transform. The one time he'd witnessed it, in a Blue Cosmos ambush years earlier, the results had been quite horrifying.

They took off out of the room, running as fast their legs would carry them to the hangers above.

* * *

On the way out of the vast underground city known as JOSHUA Base, La Flaga and Snake commandeered a pair of motorcycles; it was too far for them to make it back to the hanger on foot. 

"I can steal a plane," La Flaga called, "but how are you gonna get out?"

"Don't worry about me, Commander," Snake replied with a smile. "How do you think I got in? Stormhawk's parked up there, still under Mirage Colloid; I didn't want it hijacked or anything. I just hope it hasn't been shot." He swore to himself. "Those bastards! Using our forces as bait...!"

"Yeah, I know; I never thought I'd have to deal with a Cyclops again. We gotta hurry!"

Speeding onward, Snake concentrated on his link with Kira. (_Tovarisch, we got problems._)

(_What's wrong?_)

(_No time to explain, but ZAFT is here already; we're lucky they changed targets at the last minute. Look, mon ami, expedite your arrival, okay? And whatever you do, _don't_ land at JOSHUA; that would be a Very Bad Thing. I'll explain face-to-face; gotta run._)

(_I'll be there soon,_) Kira promised.

The pilots skidded to a stop in a cargo elevator and hopped off their transportation. "By the way, Snake," La Flaga began as the elevator began to ascend, "I've been meaning to ask you: what's with the uniform?"

"Oh, this?" Kevin snorted in grim amusement. "Believe it or not, I used to be fully entitled to this; I was, briefly, Commander of the Walker team, the Destroyers. Fortunately, the real story of the project's end hasn't yet reached ZAFT HQ, so I was able to bluff my way into the hanger where Stormhawk was being kept." He waved a hand. "And I know you've got a million questions about where I've been, but it'll have to wait. Except for this: there's two of me on the loose."

"Two?" A light dawned. "That feeling, back in the Pacific? It was a clone?"

"Precisely," Snake said grimly. "I just found out a few days ago, but it seems back during my ZAFT days, they actually went ahead and cloned me. Fittingly, he goes by one of my aliases, Jack Carter, a.k.a. Crimson Tiger. And besides me, he's the only augmented human being in existence."

"That's not good," La Flaga said after a moment. "I've seen _you_ survive things that would kill anybody else. What happens when two Destroyers tangle?"

"Armageddon," Snake replied, not entirely joking. "Ragnarok, whatever you want to call it. Bad Things."

The elevator slid open, and they ran out into the hanger; La Flaga headed off to find out who was in charge, while the super-soldier made a beeline for his cloaked mobile suit, still in mobile armor mode. He leapt in and began making ready for takeoff; he also deployed the plasma cannons from the wings, expecting trouble.

La Flaga raced over to the first officer he saw, who was shouting over the radio. "Say again? What about the Eleventh Air Defense Corps? It's destroyed? But that's impossible!"

The Hawk grabbed his shoulder. "Hey! Who's in charge here?"

He didn't get an answer; there was instead an explosion, and a CGUE landed at the hanger entrance, trailed by a trio of DINNs. "We've made it to entrance four," the pilot reported. "We've spotted Naturals and we're moving in."

"Oh, no you're not." The CGUE suddenly vanished in a bright explosion, and its subordinates soon followed as they were hit by bolts of white-hot plasma. "Get out of my way!"

La Flaga, grinning briefly at the sudden destruction, rushed over to the hanger's lone intact fighter, next to which a mechanic was on his knees, looking dazed. "Hey!" he shouted, grabbing the man's shoulder. "Get a hold of yourself! You've got to evacuate! Gather the survivors and get at least ten kilometers from the base! You hear me? That's an order!"

The mechanic came back to reality at the pilot's fierce voice, and he ran off; La Flaga jumped into the cockpit. "I didn't choose to be a hero, but..."

"Ready, Commander?" Snake asked.

"Yeah, Snake. Let's go. Cover my six, will ya?"

"You got it, tovarisch." The Stormhawk flowed briefly into existence as the pair took off, appearing just long enough to settle into formation before vanishing again.

Something about the last comment got La Flaga's attention, and it took him a moment to figure out what. Then as they crossed the sky over the open water, it came to him: Snake had just called him "tovarisch". Months earlier, Kira had explained to him that Kevin Walker used that word only for his closest and most trusted friends; it seemed the Hawk of Endymion had been inducted into that select group.

Not exactly a bad thing, he reflected, slicing through the air toward the _Archangel_; you couldn't have a more loyal friend than Snake, and he was guaranteed to watch your back in a battle. The most lethal human in history, and at times slightly unstable, he was nonetheless your best friend if you wanted to stay alive.

"There she is!" La Flaga called. "She's still hanging in the there!"

"Well, at least we got someplace to land," Snake said sardonically. "Though I'm gonna give the crew heart failure."

"_Archangel_, this is La Flaga, do you read me?" the Commander radioed. "_Archangel_, answer me!" He sighed. "Can't get through, Snake; we'll have to do this the hard way."

"Roger that; but I'm staying airborne, Commander."

The two craft, one seen, one unseen, hurtled down toward the gaping hole in the _Archangel_'s starboard flight deck, and on the Bridge Mir looked at her displays in surprise. "Incoming aircraft!" she reported. "It looks like it's damaged!"

Ramius could see it for herself on the screen. "Is he going to try for a landing?"

"But that's crazy!" Neumann said, shaking his head.

Ramius snatched up her intercom handset. "Deck crew! Some nut in an aircraft is trying to make a landing! Take shelter!"

"Everyone get out of my way! Yaaahhh!" La Flaga's fighter, now damaged by a CGUE's beam rifle, careened down into the ship's hanger, slowing to a stop as the elastic barrier caught it; above, the invisible mobile suit peeled off and headed skyward.

Murdoch and one of his people stared in surprise as the pilot jumped out of the fighter and headed for the Bridge. "Was that Commander La Flaga?"

* * *

The Bridge elevator door slid open, and La Flaga stepped out. "Captain!" 

Ramius turned in surprise. "What in the world are you doing here, Commander? What about your transfer?"

"That's not important. We gotta get out of here, right now!" He hurried to her side. "This is one messed up plan," he said harshly. "What kind of orders did they give the defense forces?"

"What?"

A concussion rocked the Bridge, but La Flaga ignored it and raised a hand, palm up. "Okay, now listen up. There's a large Cyclops system underneath headquarters. That thing is powerful enough to turn everything within ten kilometers of the base into a blast furnace!"

The entire Bridge crew looked at him in shock. "What?" Ramius blinked, mind refusing to accept it.

"Soon the defenders will be gone, and the main gate will fall. That's when Headquarters will make the decision to activate the Cyclops, and destroy the base!" La Flaga hissed angrily. "And in the process, they'll take out more than half of ZAFT's fighting strength. That's the scenario for this whole battle as imagined by the top brass!" His voice dripped fury and sarcasm.

"It can't be!" the Captain protested.

"I swear I saw it with my own eyes; the command center is empty." The pilot looked enraged. "All that's left to defend the base are the Eurasian forces and the _Archangel_, because those bigwigs have given up on her!"

Neumann turned in his seat. "So we're all expendable? Is _that_ what you're saying?"

La Flaga nodded. "But only after a desperate battle, so the enemy doesn't know it's abandoned."

"What kind of plan is this?" Heads turned at Mir's despairing voice. "Because this is a war, and because we're all supposed to be good soldiers," she went on. "If they tell us to, I guess we're supposed to just throw away our lives."

Sai looked at her, concerned. "Oh, Mir..."

Captain Murrue Ramius stood. "If the whole purpose of this battle was to lure the enemy into a trap, then in my opinion this ship has already accomplished its mission," she said decisively. "Note that I, Murrue Ramius, Captain of the _Archangel_, made this decision alone; no other crew member is to be held responsible for these actions."

"Don't put so much pressure on yourself," La Flaga said softly.

"The _Archangel_ will now abandon the combat area and make its withdrawal." She looked back at Kuzzey. "Signal the fleet; tell them to follow us."

"This won't be an easy escape for us, but we can't just give up." The Hawk of Endymion leaned toward her. "I'm launching too."

"But, Commander-"

He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about a thing. Have you forgotten? I'm the guy who's famous for making the impossible possible."

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden radio transmission. _"I'll kill you."_

Before anyone could react, Tonomura called out a report. "Heat signature detected, Ma'am! It's- _three hundred meters in diameter!"_

Ramius's head snapped around. _"What?"_

An azure column (beam was far, far too mild a word) appeared beyond the viewport, spreading across the ZAFT forces ahead of them and annihilating at least two submarine carriers and about a dozen mobile suits, leaving confusion in its wake.

"What on earth was that?" Neumann demanded- and got his answer.

A winged shape hovered a dozen meters ahead of the _Archangel_, buster rifles clamped together in their powerful cannon configuration, great wings spread. "Archangel_, this is Lieutenant Walker. Thought you might need an assist."_

Ramius blinked in shock. "Snake? But- but you're-"

"Receiving Stormhawk's signal, Ma'am!" Mir reported. "It _is_ him!"

"Oh, yeah," La Flaga said with a grin. "I ran into him at JOSHUA. Forgot to mention that."

_"Sorry it took so long, mon Capitan. It's been a strange couple of weeks."_ Kevin's image appeared on the main screen._ "I'll explain everything once we're out of here; for now, what say we _get_ out of here?"_

"Uh, yes, of course," Ramius managed. "I'll be most interested in your report, after the battle. For now, can you provide escort?"

_"Why else do you think I'm here?"_ Snake smiled._ "Captain, recommend you use the Lohengrins. Yeah, I know about the radiation, but with a Cyclops out there, that really isn't an issue."_

"But there's a computer override on it-" Pal, in charge of the fire control systems, protested.

The pilot snorted. _"Computer,"_ he said in a clear voice, easily audible to the _Archangel_'s computer microphones. _"Override Walker Romeo Alpha Papa India Echo Romeo."_

Pal blinked. "Computer lockout overridden, Captain."

The Captain blinked again. "How did you-"

"I leave a trapdoor in every program I write, Captain."

"You mean-"

He grinned. _"That's right, Captain; I wrote the _Archangel_'s software, a long time ago. I'll explain later."_ Stormhawk lifted its shield and stuffed one rifle into it. _"No time to chat; looks like the Duel has noticed us. See you."_

As the mobile suit sped off, Sai glanced at Mir. "I guess we shouldn't be _too_ surprised," he said softly, with a slight smile. "After all, he's been dead at least twice before. I'd love to know where he's been, though."

* * *

Snake raised a buster rifle as he approached the Duel. "Hey, Yzak," he called mockingly. "I'm baaack." 

"No way!" the ZAFT pilot shouted. "Athrun said he blew you up!" He fired off an angry shot. "And now you've stolen that mobile suit we recovered?"

"Stole? No, no; I took it back." Kevin dodged with contemptuous ease. "Don't ever count on my being dead, Yzak. I am the Hydra. Cut off one head, and two more take its place." He chuckled. "I believe the solution Hercules used is impractical; unless you know of where to find a rock big enough to hide me under?"

"I'll settle for an ocean!" Yzak snarled. "This time, you're _not_ getting away!"

"Oh, Yzak, Yzak," the super-soldier said sorrowfully. "Don't you know? I'm the Crimson Tiger -or I was- and we cats have nine lives, don't we?"

"Then we'll just have to take out each and every one!" Yzak suddenly grinned. "You might be able to dodge individual strikes, but how about this? Everybody, surround him!"

"Uh oh." Kevin was concerned; there were about twenty mobile suits converging on him, and even the Zero System wouldn't allow him to dodge _that_ much firepower at once. There were simply too many variables for even the most capable computer to analyze.

Knowing a buster rifle would be a bad idea in such close quarters, Snake stowed it and drew a beam saber; then he deployed the shoulder-mounted machine cannons.

And then the battle was joined. All Mu La Flaga could see, from the vantage point of his now-airborne Skygrasper, was a flurry of gunfire, blade strikes, and pieces of mobile suit falling from the sky. It was impossible to tell who was winning, though several ZAFT machines were visibly taking damage; as he watched, a DINN dropped from the furball in two halves. It had been sliced cleanly down the middle.

"_Archangel_, a little help?" Snake called. "Fire Gottfried One at these coordinates."

Pal glanced up as the targeting data appeared. "Captain?"

"Do it," Ramius concurred.

The massive pair of green beams slashed across the sky and blew a hole in the swarm, allowing Stormhawk to get some distance. _"Thanks for the assist, Captain."_

Ramius noted the precision with which Snake had directed that strike, even in the midst of his own struggle. "Lieutenant Walker," she called suddenly. "Please return to the ship; I need you to take charge of CIC."

Kevin bisected another enemy. _"Me? What about Lieutenant Badgiruel?"_

"She transferred out just hours before the attack." The Captain sighed. "Look, Snake, we don't have time for this. You have seniority, and you apparently know _Archangel_'s weapons better than anyone. Return and take over CIC _now."_

_"Yes, Ma'am."_ Snake sounded vaguely amused, but Stormhawk nonetheless raced back to the ship and slipped neatly through the hole in the starboard flight deck.

* * *

A few minutes later, Snake rushed onto the Bridge and down into CIC. "Lieutenant Walker, reporting as ordered, Captain." 

"Good to have you back, Snake," Ramius said. "It's quite a relief to see you alive."

"Believe me, Skipper, you don't know the half of it." He looked over at his classmates. "Good to see you guys again."

Unexpectedly, Mir stood and hugged him. "We all thought you were dead!"

Kevin looked extremely surprised for a moment, then smiled. "Well, I wasn't; I've been dead before, so believe me, I know what it feels like." He gently extricated himself, then sat in what was normally Natarle Badgiruel's chair. "Captain, I have taken charge of CIC," he said formally. "Now, what have we got to work with?"

"We've suffered major damage," Sai reported. "You saw the damage to the flight deck; and we've also lost both Valiants. But the rest of our armament is intact."

"Good." Snake looked at the combat displays. "Mr. Pal," he said crisply. "Set Igelstellungs to point-defense; we can't take many more missile hits. Target Gottfrieds on these coordinates; set Helldarts to independent target acquisition. Load Korinthos missiles and target tubes three through six on the Duel. We can't hurt him, but we can keep him busy. Fire!"

Ramius was impressed by the lieutenant's calm, decisive orders; he clearly_ did_ know how to properly utilize a capital ship's weapons in a strategic battle such as this. Of course, intelligence reports (which, during his time on _Archangel_ prior to his disappearance, he had refused to confirm or deny) suggested "Hydra" had been the commander of his team prior to its destruction. Kevin Walker was, apparently, a born leader, if one who hated to lead. He'd make a fine ship captain someday, if he remained with any military.

Which was, of course, highly unlikely.

"Incoming missiles, two o'clock!" Chandra reported.

"Affirmative," Snake said calmly. "Mr. Pal, launch Sledgehammer missiles at these coordinates on my mark. Mark."

Bemused, Pal did as ordered, and shortly saw what his superior had in mind: the Sledgehammer missiles had a larger blast radius than most, which made them very effective at blowing up large numbers of small targets in proximity "soft-kills". They easily wiped out the incoming salvo.

The battle raged on, with Kuzzey making occasional reports on the status of the other ships and ZAFT's penetration of the base. "Captain, they've taken the main gate!"

"We have to hurry. Lieutenant Walker, expedite!"

"Yes, Ma'am," Snake said calmly.

"Okay, we've given you the main gate," La Flaga muttered, "so why not just let us _leave_ now?"

"By the way," Snake said during a brief lull in the shooting, "might I ask just where the Buster is? One would think that with only two G-weapons left, they'd be sending both of them after us."

"They don't have possession of the Buster anymore," Ramius replied. "It's in our hanger right now."

"Yeah, the pilot decided it would be better to surrender," Sai added with a chuckle. "Of course, having the Gottfrieds pointed directly at him might have had something to do with it."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "We captured Dearka Elsman? That's... surprising." A thought occurred to him, and he glanced over at Mir. "By the way, Mir, there's a chance that Tolle may still be alive."

She turned around, stunned. "What? How?"

"I don't know for sure," he cautioned. "But I bought him an extra couple of seconds, long enough for him to eject... if he had the presence of mind. I don't mean to give you _too_ much hope, but he just might have gotten out alive."

"Incoming missiles!"

Snake's head snapped around, but before he could give any orders, the barrage struck, and _Archangel_ began to fall from the sky.

"Thrust is decreasing, I'm losing ship's stability!" Neumann said through gritted teeth, struggling with the flight controls.

"Solkin syn! Mr. Pal, fire Lohengrins!"

Pal complied without hesitation, though unsure of the current combat commander's motives; he suspected (correctly) that he simply wanted to make it very clear to the ZAFT forces that he was _most_ unhappy with them.

Firing a pair of positron cannons certainly got their attention; a _Vosgulov_ carrier that had been merely grazed by Snake's introductory beam cannon attack simply vanished, as did a pair of DINNs preparing to resupply.

The ZAFT pilots evidently did not appreciate this. "Mobile suits approaching!" Tonomura reported... and a GINN, riding a Guul, appeared in front of the _Archangel_'s superstructure. It raised its machine gun, leveling it directly at the Bridge viewports.

Ramius' eyes narrowed, accepting death with defiance; Sai closed his eyes; Kuzzey cried out and jumped from his chair, as if seeking cover; Snake merely looked at it, acknowledging the Grim Reaper's victory. The GINN's weapon began to glow...

And a green beam came down from the sky, blasting the weapon in half. "What the?" The machine's pilot looked up, and down came a winged mobile suit from on high. It drew a beam saber and sliced down, lopping off the GINN's head and leaving it blind.

Ramius blinked. "What...?"

The newcomer rose up, wings outstretched, and hovered protectively before the _Archangel_. As the stunned crew stared at it, its wings spread wide, and Snake spoke calmly. "Mr. Tonomura, designate ZGMF-X10A Freedom as friendly. Took your time, tovarisch," he added to the unknown pilot.

"What the?" La Flaga blurted, as startled as any by the apparition.

"Where'd that mobile suit come from?" Yzak demanded.

"Archangel_, this is Kira Yamato,"_ the Freedom radioed._ "I'll cover you. Meanwhile, please withdraw to safety."_

Mir looked up in shock. "Kira?"

Sai grinned. "It_ is_ Kira!"

Ramius' eyes went wide in stunned amazement._ "Our..._ Kira?"

"You cut it pretty close, buddy," Snake said. "Another half-second or so, and even_ I _wouldn't be around anymore."

Kira ignored the mock-admonishment, and Kevin stiffened in his chair as he felt his friend become the Berserker... and underwent the change himself.

The Freedom flew forward, and the targeting display in the cockpit rose before Kira's eyes. The red circles of target locks began to surround the multitude of enemies, and the Freedom's weapons deployed: Xiphias railguns on the hips, Lupus beam rifle in hand, and Balaena plasma beam cannons over the shoulders.

They all fired at once, many times, and enemy mobile suits began to fall back, heads and arms blown off; the Freedom was locking onto almost everything in the area, and its advanced targeting computer was aiming with exquisite precision.

"What in the world just happened?" Yzak demanded, seeing the carnage.

The Freedom flashed past the _Archangel_'s bow, and Kira's face appeared on the main screen. _"Please, stop wasting time! Withdraw!"_

"Yes," Ramius began, confused and in a certain amount of shock over the battle's occurrences, "but there's a... a Cyclops... beneath headquarters!" Kira drew in a sharp breath, and she went on, almost desperately. "We're all just bait!" Ramius's head jerked forward, eyes filling. "They planned this! We had no idea! That's why we can't withdraw! We have to get farther away from the base!"

Kira nodded. "I understand." He piloted the Freedom forward, toward the ZAFT forces arrayed before them, and deployed his weaponry again. "Attention, all ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces!" he called over the radio. "Any moment now, the Cyclops system will activate, and the Alaska base will self-destruct! Both sides, please, cease fighting and withdraw from this area immediately! Repeat, the Cyclops system will activate and the Alaska base will self-destruct! Both sides, please cease fighting and withdraw immediately!"

"That kid," La Flaga murmured in amazement.

"Come on, Kira..." Ramius said quietly.

"I'm not falling for that!" Yzak shouted. His machine shot across the sky at Kira, beam saber drawn.

Kira turned. "The Duel!" Memories went through his mind, of a little girl who had thanked him for protecting her and the civilians all the way to Earth... and then of the Duel, blasting the little girl and the shuttle the civilians were aboard into space dust.

He grimaced, and rushed to meet Yzak. He took the Duel's strike on his shield, and met its fist with his own. "I told you to stop! Don't you wanna live?"

"What do you mean?" Yzak aimed his railgun and fired.

The Freedom's head jerked to the side, and the powerful machine flew backwards. He flipped sideways to dodge another saber strike, drew his own, and swept the blade toward the Duel.

Yzak cried out as he saw the energy blade coming straight toward his cockpit, and for a moment he was convinced he would die in much the same manner Nicol Amalfi supposedly had. He squeezed his eyes shut...

And the Lacerta passed beneath, cutting him off at the knees instead. "Forget about fighting and get yourself out of here!" Kira shouted; his machine used the Duel's back as a springboard and flew off, leaving the crippled mobile suit to drop.

A DINN quickly swooped in and caught him, and Yzak stared after the departing enemy in surprise. "He didn't...? But why?"

Seconds later, Sai shouted a report. "They've activated the Cyclops!"

Ramius' response came instantly. "Maximum thrust!_ Get us outta here!"_

_"Solkin syn!"_ Snake abruptly leapt from his chair and practically teleported to Pal's station. There, he began frantically typing commands into the console. "Transferring weapon power to engines," he reported.

"The engines will never hold-" Neumann began.

"They'll hold, Ensign! I bloody well know what this ship'll take." The super-soldier looked grimly confident. "It won't hold for long, but right now we need to move."

Behind them, a massive wave front of microwave radiation crawled across the land, sea, and sky, ripping up the ground and blasting mobile suits into burned-out hulks. Everything inside the Alaska base collapsed, the ZAFT forces learning too late the price of victory.

Both sides had indeed ceased fighting; it was now every man for himself, and mobile suits fled the onslaught. One GINN, the one Kira had decapitated as his opening move, lagged behind, and its Guul was caught in the searing heat. It exploded, and the GINN began to drop... and the Freedom caught its hand. "I've gotcha," Kira said reassuringly.

The Alaska base finally exploded, as the Cyclops ate itself; aboard a Vosgulov, its captain's jaw sagged in disbelief. "Can't be!"

"It seems we fell right into the trap the Naturals set for us," Le Creuset said calmly behind him. Oddly, he smiled...

_

* * *

_

Well outside the blast zone, Mu La Flaga had set down his Skygrasper and looked back on the devastation. He'd never thought he'd ever have to outrun a Cyclops again.

Nearby, Kira knelt next to the pilot of the GINN he had rescued. "Are you okay? Try to stay awake."

The pilot looked up at him. "Were you... the pilot... of that mobile suit?" he asked weakly.

Kira nodded. "I was."

"Why'd you... try to save me?"

He shrugged. "Because it was something I wanted to do."

The ZAFT pilot smiled weakly. "It would have been quicker... if you'd just dropped me... back there..." His head slumped, eyes closed forever.

Kira hissed and slammed his fist into the ground. "No!" Why did so many have to die? Why did it always end like this?

_(It's war, tovarisch,)_ Snake said gently._ (People die in war. All you can do is all you can do. You did your best, old friend.)_

_------------------------------------------------------------------_

Millions of kilometers above, Athrun stepped out of his shuttle and looked around, puzzled. All around him, people were talking in varying degrees of incredulity and rage._ What's going on?_

He spotted a familiar face and stepped forward. "Commander Yuki!"

"Athrun Zala?" The commander looked surprised. "What are you doing back here in the PLANTs?"

"I'll tell you, but first... What's going on?"

Yuki sighed. "Operation Spit Break has failed." Athrun gasped. "Reports are still coming in, but it looks like they were... annihilated."

"But how?"

"We're not sure yet." He leaned close. "I'm afraid I have one more piece of bad news for you," Yuki said quietly. "One of our top-secret mobile suits, one of the new ones we were developing, has been stolen. We're not sure yet who the thief is... but it seems the person who gave him access was none other than Lacus Clyne."

Athrun dropped his travel case in shock. "It... it can't be. I _know_ Lacus. She wouldn't do this!"

* * *

Author's note: Kevin and Kira have returned to the_ Archangel_, and Athrun has met the super-soldier's clone… or at least one of them. Soon, the truth behind the origins of Jack Carter and the assassin Invictus will be revealed, leaving only a handful of secrets remaining about Kevin Walker's mysterious past. 

Daniel Lynx, haven't heard from you in awhile… Anyway, I wasn't really asking about the color of Wing Zero's beams; I was merely commenting that I didn't know what they looked like. It has little bearing on the story, but thanks anyway.

No, I'm not "pulling your leg" about there being more to Kevin and Lacus' connection. I may be cryptic at times, and I may be deliberately vague, but joking? I don't think so. I will say this, to quote Tolkien: Go not to the elves for council, for they will say both no and yes. It is my habit to be mysterious about future events, but generally not joking.

As for the clone, well… I daresay the beginning of this chapter makes clear the fact that Jack Carter and Invictus are_ not_ one and the same.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, sorry to disappoint you, but it's not yet time for Stormhawk to be modified quite_ that _extremely. As I said before, it is_ much_ farther into Kevin Walker's saga that the new machine -which will indeed be renamed- comes into play. I have something very specific in mind, though it will, regrettably, by awhile yet; you'll see what I mean.

The Kevin/Big Boss comparison isn't far off, by the way; the origins of Carter and Invictus, as you may see next chapter, _were_ partly inspired by the Les Enfant Terribles project.

As for Cagalli and Kevin, though… note that Reverend Malchio merely got him over his fatalism; he's still cynical about other things. Everything will be explained, and arranged, at the proper times.

Knightowl, thanks for the information; but it appears I must one again reiterate something: URLs do_ not_ seem to show up in reviews. I would suggest merely giving the name of the site; I can probably locate it following that.

In this case, though, it's hardly necessary. If, by chance, those are links to the official website, I know of them; and even if they aren't, I'm quite familiar with the_ machines_; it's the events I'm unclear on, and there I'm merely curious. Given some things I've already established -see Chapter 3- it's largely irrelevant for Brothers in Arms. But thanks.

RVD, you ain't seen nothing yet. You think_ this_ is complex? It gets worse. _Much_ worse.

I appreciate the information about Garcia, by the way; I'd figured Artemis wasn't completely destroyed, but Garcia's survival is quite a surprise. I just don't see how he_ could _have made it. In any case, in my version of events Kevin has already ventilated his heart, so that's fairly meaningless here; and I have plans of my own for Artemis, around the end. You'll see what I mean.

Shinji Ikari, to be perfectly honest, when I first wrote Chapter 22 I hadn't even thought of having Kevin and Lacus as relatives; that required subtle but significant modifications. However, since the idea came up well before I wrote Chapter 5, I'm frankly astonished that you seem to be the only one who realized the fact early on. I left some fairly broad hints -see the first section of Chapter 5, and early in Lacus' conversation with Kira and Kevin in Chapter 6- so I honestly expected people to notice early on. I guess I'm a little more subtle than I realize.

"John Carter" is not a mistake, as it happens. It's simply that "Jack" is a common way to refer to people named John; "John" doesn't quite seem to fit with Carter (this Carter, anyway), and, as you'll see next chapter, that name is taken by someone else.

I hadn't really thought much into the Stormhawk's retrieval; I merely thought that it was unlikely ZAFT would overlook the machine when they reached the battle sight (which, even leaving aside Yzak's recovery, they most certainly did;_ Archangel_ had to leave in a hurry because they had three DINNs coming after them). Of course, the series doesn't exactly go into detail about Kira's retrieval, though judging from the cover of one of the Astray books, the Red Frame Astray's pilot had something to do with it.

Point taken about Athrun and Cagalli's parting; you'll notice I inserted that early on in this chapter (I did it as a flashback in part because it didn't seem to really fit anywhere else).

Tolle's feelings will also be addressed, in due time; but that time is not now. For my purposes, he's currently comatose and will be for some time to come. I'll worry about it when the time comes.

I'll take your word for it, regarding the perspective thing; but exactly how that changes things will require much thought.

Guess I did go a little overboard in describing the Freedom; it's simply that I tend to explain things in detail; perhaps a little too much detail, I suppose.

What I was mainly clarifying last chapter, by the way, was that Kevin's link with Kira was completely different from his ability to sense Cagalli's emotions; the way you phrased things, it sounded to me like you thought the two were the same.

I guess you're right about "basic" beam weapons; what I should have said was that green refers to laser weapons, as opposed to hyper-impulse or projectile-type weapons. But I am afraid I must correct your correction, with regard to the Lohengrin: a positron is the opposite of an electron, which means it is antimatter, and an antimatter is not energy. I hope that clears things up.

All right, now that I've spent, as usual, ninety minutes just writing the author's notes, I shall post this. Read it and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	24. Chapter 24: Twisted Justice

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Invictus, and Jack Carter

* * *

With the threat of the Cyclops over, and the _Archangel_ temporarily at rest, most of the ship's crew emerged onto the spot of land where Kira had landed his powerful new mobile suit. None of them could quite believe it was really him. 

Kira strode toward them in his ZAFT-issue flight suit, helmet in hand, and came to a stop in front of Ramius. "I guess I made it," he said with a smile, "just in time."

"Is it really... you, Kira?" she asked tentatively.

He nodded. "It's me."

Mir was the first to break the stillness, rushing toward him. "Kira!"

Soon, the other crew surrounded Kira, bubbling with excitement... except for Sai and Kuzzey, who held back, and Kevin, who stood some distance away, the only one unaffected by the reunion. After all, he'd known the whole time that Kira was alive.

Kira saw past the gaggle to Sai, and he stepped toward them. "Sai, Kuzzey," he greeted them.

"I'm... glad to see you're all right," Sai said, tone strange.

Kira smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Sai." He turned back to Ramius and La Flaga. "I bet you've got a couple of million questions for me," he said cheerfully.

Ramius smiled back, her expression full of emotion. "At least."

"First things first," La Flaga said, noting Kira's flight suit. "Were you with ZAFT?"

The younger pilot nodded. "Yes, I was with ZAFT; but I haven't become a ZAFT soldier." He glanced at the Captain. "However, I'm not with the Earth Forces anymore, either."

Ramius was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in understanding; besides, from the looks of things, it might not be very healthy for _any_ of them to return to the Earth Forces. "I see. There's a lot of things we'll have to talk about. But first, what do we do about that mobile suit?" She nodded at the Freedom, standing motionless behind them.

"If you're talking about maintenance and resupply," Kira replied, "it's not necessary just now. You see, it has a Neutron-jammer canceller."

"Neutron-jammer canceller?" La Flaga's eyebrows rose.

Chandra, too, looked surprised. "So is that thing powered by a nuclear engine?"

"Where'd you get it?" Pal asked.

Kira's expression closed. "If you ask for specifics, you won't get anything out of me, and I'll have to leave," he said carefully. "And even if I have to fight you, I won't let you take this machine from me."

Ramius blinked. "But, Kira..."

"This kid..." La Flaga said softly.

(_Lighten up, tovarisch,_) Snake advised. (_They're on _our_ side, remember?_)

"This machine was entrusted to _me_," Kira went on, ignoring his friend's warning. "I'll be the one to take care of it."

"I understand," Ramius said, recovering. "I give you my word we'll leave that machine and the equipment inside alone." She looked over her shoulder at the gathered crew. "Is that clear?"

Kira smiled. "Thanks for understanding."

* * *

Athrun Zala stood amidst the ransacked wreckage that had once been the Clyne Residence, his heart in turmoil. Learning that his fiancé had given a spy access to a top-secret mobile suit had been bad enough; hearing his father brand Lacus and her father Siegel traitors and order their arrest had been an even greater shock... especially after he'd seen what his father's people had done to the Clynes' home. 

And there was another thing. Cagalli Yula Athha and Kevin Walker had challenged him to ask his father Patrick Zala if ZAFT had indeed done such terrible things to his old friend... and if he'd ordered it personally. So, edging carefully into the subject, wary of his father's uncertain temper, he had.

Athrun had recognized the third figure on the surveillance footage, despite the metal half-face and white uniform, which told him his former friend was indeed alive. That had given him the opening to the topic. _"Sir," he began, "I know who that third man is, the one in white."_

_Zala looked at him. "Really?"_

_"Yes; he's the pilot of that other machine that was stolen, the one our forces recovered after my Aegis was destroyed." Athrun looked at his father through the corner of his eye. "His name is Baron Kevin Onishi."_

_"The Fencing Prince?" Zala snorted. "Nonsense. He died two years ago, in a very public assassination; though I hear the sniper didn't survive either."_

_"No," his son insisted. "He's very much alive. I've spoken to him myself, fought against him. He was also the pilot of the captured GINN that was flying off the legged ship. More importantly," Athrun went on, very carefully, "Baron Onishi is the true identity of one of my classmates from Copernicus, Kevin Walker."_

_That got Zala's attention. "I see. So you _would_ know if it was him. That may be very important information, Athrun."_

_"Sir," Athrun said, picking his words with _extreme_ care, "he seems to be more than just an average Coordinator; I fought him a couple of times, on the ground, and I'd've died had he not chosen, for whatever reason, to spare my life. He claims... that it was ZAFT that gave him his power. He told me he was part of something called ABADDON. Is that true?"_

_Zala nodded slowly. "Yes, it's true." He swiveled in his chair, turning his back to his son. "It was three and a half years ago; a man came to me with the concept of a super-soldier program, that would enhance the best and brightest Coordinators with cybernetic technology and chemical learning techniques. A unit of twelve, they were to be our ultimate weapon." He seemed to have forgotten anyone else was in the room. "Kevin Walker, for a reason no one has ever determined, was present in Aprilius when the selection process was coming to a close. From your stories of him, I knew he would be a prime candidate, so I issued orders to have him picked up by the Project team and offered the opportunity to join the Destroyers' ranks; if he declined, the worst that would happen would be that his memory would be selectively altered to make him forget he'd ever had the meeting, and then he would be set free. Obviously, he accepted the offer" Athrun knew differently, but also knew better than to say so "but evidently changed his mind within six months and destroyed everything at the lab; until now, we thought that included himself, and that one of his people was tha actual traitor, but it seems not."_

_"Apparently," Athrun agreed._

_His father turned to face him again. "I'm telling you this because you now have another objective: find Kevin Walker, codename Hydra, and eliminate him." Apparently not noticing his son's look of dismay, Zala continued, "I don't recommend that you engage him in single combat. Oracle's remaining records are fragmentary at best, but it appears that Hydra was_ born_ at least twice as strong as even other Coordinators, and his mental abilities were comparable. When he was augmented, he became the strongest human being who ever lived, a super-soldier capable of tearing apart armored vehicles with his bare hands; I doubt if anyone like him will ever exist again. You should also be aware that bullets are practically useless; analysis suggests that Hydra's particular augmentation package included an electromagnetic field, operating on a peculiar frequency, that deflects metallic objects moving at high speed toward his vital areas. A knife could get through" as Athrun already knew from painful, futile experience "but you're unlikely to live long enough to reach blade range. It's also believed that bombs must be rather large for him to even notice them, so your only realistic chance is to destroy his mobile suit... with him inside."_

Athrun saluted. "Understood, sir," he said, words acid in his mouth. He turned to leave.

"One more thing," his father called after him. "Make certain you've found the right one. Numerous clones were made of Hydra, and though it's not known where all of them are within our own service, Jack Carter is serving at Carpentaria. Those men are some of our best, so confirm your target."

Athrun felt sick, thinking of it. His father obviously truly believed Kevin's participation had been voluntary, but the hate in his old friend's voice when he spoke of it was far too forceful to be fake, even with his acting skill. In a way, he was now grateful that the clones existed: they gave him an excuse, should he find himself unable to fire on the real Kevin.

But that was not his purpose here today. He wasn't quite sure _what_ he was looking for, but he expected he'd know it if he found it.

A sudden sound in the remains of the garden startled him, and Athrun's hand ducked past his sling to the gun hidden in his jacket. Then he relaxed, puzzled, as Lacus Clyne's favorite Haro (a type of robot pet he'd made for her), came bouncing out of the brush, muttering to itself.

Before he could catch it, the pink ball bounced away down the path, apparently leading him somewhere. "Haro!" he called, and the little machine stopped, bouncing into his hand before a specific spot.

Athrun recognized it from an earlier visit. _"These flowers come from the theater where I first sang in public,"_ Lacus had told him. _"They're something to remember it by."_

He stood still for a moment. _Something to remember it by... The White Symphony..._

Athrun took off running.

* * *

"So that was their strategy?" 

Kira stood on the _Archangel_'s Bridge, leaning against the forward viewports. He was back in uniform, whereas Snake had abandoned uniform completely, reverting to the same outfit which had been his trademark both on Heliopolis and the ship.

"As far as we can determine," La Flaga acknowledged. The entire Bridge crew was gathered in the forward section, while they pondered their next move.

"_And_ they made the decision not to tell us a thing about it," Ramius said, anger in her voice.

"Headquarters obviously knew well in advance that Alaska was the target," La Flaga went on. "It must have taken awhile to build that Cyclops, and there wouldn't have been any point without advance knowledge of a massive attack."

Kira looked at the deck, thinking back. _"I have bad news, Clyne,"_ Eileen Canaver had said. _"It seems that Zala's deceived us. Panama _isn't_ Operation Spit Break's target; it's Alaska."_

"The PLANTs didn't know, either," Kira said, almost to himself. Ignoring their looks of surprise, he glanced up. "So, what are your plans? Have you decided where the _Archangel_'s going from here?"

"We haven't been able to reestablish contact with headquarters yet due to the N-jammers and magnetic fields," Tonomura said.

"Should we make repairs in the field, and then head to Panama on our own?" Neumann wondered aloud.

La Flaga snorted. "Oh, you think they'll be happy to see us? We knew far too much for our own good. I don't think it would be very smart to head there."

"They'd probably say we disobeyed orders," Ramius said moodily. "That we deserted in the face of the enemy, just to save ourselves."

"We 'deserted' to escape a trap set by our own people," Snake interjected. "Just who gave those idiotic orders, anyway?"

"A guy I think you'd have shot on sight," La Flaga said with a slight smile. "A Captain William Sutherland."

Kevin's response was completely unexpected. The flesh-and-blood half of his face turned an alarming shade of purple, and he launched into a torrent of invective that lasted for five minutes and around fifty languages, without repeating himself once.

When it was over, he erupted in English. "That son of a- _That_ bastard was here? Can't he just die?"

Ramius tilted her head, stunned by the reaction. "Is there... something we should know?"

"Does the phrase 'for the preservation of our blue and pure world' mean anything to you?" Snake said bitterly.

Neumann gasped. "You don't mean-?"

"Yes. That unmitigated bastard is a member of Blue Cosmos, one of the bigwigs in charge of hunting _me!_" The super-soldier's eyes were colder than space, showing his elemental rage to the crew, who knew him well by now. "I tried to blast that nekulturny bastard into the Stone Age with a car bomb about a year and a half ago."

Ramius was not as surprised as she might have been, after the _Archangel_ and the Eurasian forces had been used as bait for a trap that _they_ weren't supposed to survive, either. "It's becoming more and more difficult to understand just who or what we're fighting for," she said, tone a mixture of anger and despair.

"Ms. Murrue," Kira said, "what is it you think we _should_ be fighting against, to end all this?" When all eyes turned to him, he looked up. "Whatever it is, I think it's time we started fighting against it."

Ramius looked thoughtful at that. "Commander, Snake, please join me in my office. We need to plan out our next move."

Kevin, heretofore silent other than his torrent of rage, looked surprised. "Me too, Captain?"

"You may be young, and you may not be quite as good a pilot as Kira, but you've proven yourself to be a valuable member of the team, Snake," she explained. "You're our only trained tactician and strategist, and you learned it under Andrew Waltfeld. I'd greatly appreciate your input."

The super-soldier considered that, then smiled. "I'd be honored."

* * *

Minutes later, Kevin leaned against the wall in Ramius's office, studying a world map, and idly rubbed the metal half of his face. He missed the synthetic flesh; it had never felt quite right, but he could have sworn the bare metal _itched_. 

"I suppose the first question is, where do we go from here?" Ramius said, sitting behind her desk, chin resting on her hands.

"Yeah." La Flaga poured coffee into a pair of mugs, setting one before his Captain. Kevin had brewed the stuff, recalling a blend the Desert Tiger had favored.

"Hmm..." the young man mused. "Well, Panama is out, unless we want _both_ sides shooting at us, and so's the rest of Earth Alliance territory. That rules out both Americas, most of Europe and Asia, and Africa. Australia's out, too, what with Oceania, and something tells me Antarctica wouldn't be much better." He traced coastlines and borders on the map. "I somehow doubt Scandinavia or the Equatorial Union would be much interested in helping us, either... so I guess that rules out most of the world." Kevin's finger settled on a spot along the equator. "I think Orb is our best bet."

La Flaga glanced at him, a teasing smile on his face. "Want to see how your girlfriend's doing, huh?"

Snake turned slowly. "Mu," he began (like Kira, he'd abandoned titles), "I'm going to say this one more time: if you call her my girlfriend again, I'm going to knock your teeth down your throat."

Ramius hid a smile. She more than half-suspected that La Flaga was actually correct about how Kevin felt toward Cagalli, whether he'd admit it to anyone or not; and even if he was wrong, the banter between the two on the subject tended to be amusing.

"But you're partially correct, Mu," Kevin went on. "I _do_ want to see how she's doing. Imagine how she must be feeling, believing that Kira and I are dead. Do you think I _want_ to leave her like that?"

La Flaga suddenly looked more thoughtful. "I guess you're right. Sorry."

"You're probably right that we should head there, Kevin," the Captain said; and the teenager's eyebrows went up. That was the first time she'd addressed him by his given name. "Besides, they could probably repair this ship faster than anybody else. They've had enough practice, after all."

"Yeah. You know," Kevin said thoughtfully, "just once I'd like us to come out of a battle more or less intact. The last few have been pretty nasty, and I nearly died again on the way to Alaska. I'm gettin' kinda tired of dying, you know?"

Ramius looked curious. "What's it like, on the other side?"

He smiled enigmatically. "That's not for the living to know, Murrue."

She carefully examined his face. In the time he'd been away, Kevin Walker had obviously changed, much as Kira had. This new Kevin seemed far more cheerful. Still inclined toward violent and permanent solutions, yes, and still easily capable of vengeance, but the deep psychic wounds seemed to have healed.

His bright jade eyes, the features that had always belied the warrior's spirit within, still bore a shadow, and Ramius suspected they always would. Kevin Walker had the look of someone who had seen the depths to which a human being could descend, and he had, for he'd traveled to the deepest places of the soul himself. Though she had never believed his own assertion that he was a monster, she saw that there was some truth to it, for deep inside there still lurked the ancient and dangerous something she had seen awakening on Heliopolis, months before. But the monster was locked away, chained unless deliberately unleashed, and it seemed the young man who had vanished years before into the super-soldier known as Hydra had finally returned, tempered by his experiences but no longer a man consumed by a desire for self-destruction.

It was, Ramius thought, a good thing.

* * *

Dearka Elsman lay on his back on the hard bunk in his cell, staring up at the ceiling. _Sounds like the battle's over,_ he thought. _Wonder who won?_

His thoughts were interrupted when the brig's hatch slid aside, and a figure clad in black stepped in. The newcomer walked straight to Dearka's cell, and the prisoner sat up, puzzled. _Who's he?_ He took in the dark clothing, metal half-face, and holstered weaponry.

Dearka went rigid as he realized who he was looking at. The jade eyes, the eyes that no one who had ever met Kevin Walker would forget, were unmistakable. _But... but he's dead... That girl was ready enough to hurl _that _in my face, too!_

"Hello, Dearka," the frightful apparition said calmly. "I'd heard you were captured, in the same battle that cost me my face."

"W-Walker?" He swallowed, frightened; from his reputation, he had little doubt "the Snake" wouldn't hesitate to kill him, despite his POW status. "If you're gonna finish me, then go ahead," he managed. "Your friend nearly did."

To Dearka's surprise, Kevin smiled. "Relax, Dearka. Despite what you may have heard, I don't eat prisoners for breakfast. Not even for lunch, though dinner is a possibility." He leaned back against the wall, chuckling to himself. "And I've heard all about Mir's attempt to kill you. I don't _think_ she'll try that again. But I'm not here for that. I just wanted to talk."

"Talk?" The Buster's pilot blinked, then sat back with a shrug. Well, if this avatar of the Grim Reaper really _didn't_ want him dead, well, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do. "They said you were dead, when Athrun blew his Aegis up."

"Nearly," Kevin conceded. "But Stormhawk is more durable than even I'd thought. And call me Kevin, by the way, or Snake. I really _don't_ have anything personal against you. We were just on opposite sides, that's all; and as for when we first met, well... Did you actually know what you said to me?"

Fighting a sense of unreality at the idea of having a calm conversation with Snake, Dearka thought back. That time he'd gotten thrown through a wall, he'd just said something in Russian. And now that he thought about it... "No," he said finally. "I'm _still_ not sure what it meant."

Kevin chuckled. "Well, Dearka, suffice it to say that you hurled the most obscene insult in the Russian language at me. Back then, I wasn't quite so good at keeping my temper in check. Especially since that particular obscenity referred to my mother, and since my parents are gone..."

"Ouch. Sorry about that." Whatever his other faults, Dearka Elsman didn't exactly go out of his way to offend people. "By the way, for it's worth... I'm sorry about what ZAFT did to you." When Kevin looked surprised, he smiled. "Hey, we may be enemies, but I had no idea you were _forced_ into that." Dearka glanced away. "That girl -Mir, you said?- made plenty sure I understood it."

Snake waved a hand. "Not your fault. The only remaining member of ZAFT who had any kind of connection to the Project is Patrick Zala. And I can't exactly say that _no_ good came of it." He idly flexed his augmented hands. "I'm probably the toughest human being in existence, and certainly the most lethal. I won't claim to be altruistic in my aims, but this enhancement makes it that much easier for me to protect my friends."

Dearka tilted his head. "If it's not too big a secret, would you mind telling me just how it is you keep coming back from blows that would kill a normal person?"

"Not a secret on this ship at all, Dearka, and simply knowing about it won't allow you to _do_ anything about it, anyway." Kevin leaned back. "The answer is nanotechnology. My augmentation utilizes millions of nanomachines, keeping the systems in working order, among other things." He extended his claws for a moment. "These are nanotech, too. Shape-memory is what they call this, another application of nanotech; in this case, the metal that forms the claws is normally simply spread throughout the hand, but when given a specific electrical pulse, the metal reshapes itself into the lethal weapons. But the most important application is self-repair. When I'm wounded, the nanomachines react virtually instantly, rushing to close the injury faster than you'd believe possible. That's why I tend to ignore things like knives and bombs: you pretty much have to hit me with something instantly lethal to kill me."

Dearka shook his head in apparent disgust. "And if ZAFT had just been smart enough to settle for lesser-capable soldiers of greater loyalty, we could have ended this war pretty quick. Ha!"

"Well, nobody ever accused Oracle of being particularly sane. In fact, he was your stereotypical mad scientist." Kevin looked oddly uncomfortable for a moment. "By the way, Dearka, there's something you should know. It wasn't the Strike that killed Nicol Amalfi." He looked away. "It was me."

The POW blinked. "What? _You?_ But the Strike was the only enemy in the area-"

"I was hovering above under Mirage Colloid, and when I saw the Blitz going for my friend, I did what I had to do." He shrugged. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Nicol was a friend of mine, too."

Dearka looked surprised. "You knew him?"

"I did," Kevin acknowledged. "He was a sometime concert-pianist, so we moved in the same circles during my trips to the PLANTs." At the other's look of incomprehension, he smiled. "You know me as Kevin Walker, Dearka, but that's not the name I was born with. My true name is Baron Kevin Onishi."

Dearka frowned. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it... at first. "Wait a minute. _You're_ the one they called The Fencing Prince?" Kevin nodded. "But you're supposed to be dead! It was all over the news for weeks. Some lunatic shot you, and then disappeared without so much as claiming responsibility."

"He wasn't 'some lunatic'," Kevin said grimly, "he was a highly-paid assassin. The best in the business. Unlucky for him, I can survive slightly longer without a heart than normal people, so I promptly killed him back. Then I dropped dead, and even I don't have the foggiest notion how I came back to life." He shrugged. "Believe it or not, the bastard was hired by the man the Orb upper crust assumed was going to be my father-in-law."

"You don't mean Uzumi Nara Athha? That idiot who's trying to keep Orb out of the war, but lets Morgenroete supply the Earth Alliance?"

"I'll agree that he's an idiot -this became Orb's war the day you lowlifes attacked Heliopolis- but I'm not certain he had anything to with Morgenroete. But yeah, it was Lord Uzumi. A little misunderstanding; he won't try that again."

Dearka had to chuckle, thinking of just how this lethal enemy of his might have "persuaded" Athha to stop going after him. "So, Snake, _is_ it true what they always said? About your marrying the princess, I mean?"

Kevin observed him calmly for a moment, then drew his Colt revolver and pointed it directly at Dearka's nose. "Dearka, I don't have anything personal against you. As a matter of fact, were we on the same side, I would probably like you. But I just might bend my own rules about prisoner treatment if you ask me that again, particularly in Mu La Flaga's hearing. Bear that in mind, will you?"

The ZAFT pilot didn't take it very seriously; despite the enmity between them, which was only now beginning to dissipate, Dearka knew that his old adversary wasn't a liar. If he said he didn't kill prisoners, then he didn't kill prisoners. "Right, right." He grinned. "So, _is_ it true?"

The revolver vanished. "No. As you've seen, Dearka, the Grim Reaper is always just a step or two behind me. If he cannot get me, he takes my friends, and Cagalli Yula Athha is more important to me than anything else. I won't put her at risk." Kevin turned to leave, then glanced back. "By the way, you probably won't be in that cell too much longer. We're heading for Orb, so you'll probably be free to go soon."

Then he was gone, and Dearka lay back on the narrow bunk. _Free to go... Huh. But will I be any better off going back to ZAFT? I _was_ captured, _and_ I lost my machine; no way they'll give _that_ back to me. So will I get a hero's welcome... or a coward's?_

* * *

Athrun stepped out of his car in front of the old theater, reading the battered sign that said _White Symphony_. From the looks of things, the building had been abandoned at least since the start of the war, maybe longer; it was unusual to see a building in such poor shape in the PLANTs. 

Stepping through the old doors, his hand reached into his jacket, checking the grips of the submachine gun hidden within. In his left, nearly useless hand, he carried the pink Haro that had led him to come here. If Athrun was right, the person he was seeking would be here.

This seemed to be confirmed by the soft singing coming from somewhere ahead, and the old lettering on the walls: _Lacus Clyne._ The voice was definitely familiar, though he had not heard the song before.

Athrun quietly drew the submachine gun and climbed the staircase leading to the amphitheater. At the top, the singing growing nearer, he raced quietly to the door and edged it open, peering cautiously through it. "Lacus," he whispered, seeing the figure on the stage.

He walked slowly down toward the stage, Lacus Clyne's song bringing to mind images from his past battles, from his last face-to-face encounter with Kira... before he killed him. There was a bittersweet sound to it all, the more so since it appeared now that even Lacus had betrayed him...

Athrun neared the stage, and the Haro jumped out of his hand and bounced up to Lacus. She stopped her singing and smiled down at the robot. "Well, hello there, Mr. Pink!" She turned to Athrun. "I was certain you'd be the one to find him and bring him here! Thank you so much."

He couldn't contain himself any longer. "_Why_, Lacus?"

"'Why' what?" she asked sensibly.

Athrun jumped up onto the stage. "You know what. Just what have you done?"

Lacus smiled. "I'm sure you've heard all about it. That's why you came to see me, isn't it?"

"Is it true what they're saying about you?" he demanded. "That you're guilty of providing assistance to an enemy spy?"

"I did not provide assistance to an enemy spy," she said calmly. "All I did was decide to provide Kira" and she emphasized the name "with a newer, better sword."

Athrun drew back, confused. "Kira? But-"

"Because I thought that he would have need of it soon," Lacus went on, "and because I thought it would serve its purpose best in Kira's hands."

"What are you talking about, Lacus?" he demanded, utterly bemused. "Kira's gone! I-"

"Took his life yourself?" She smiled at his look of surprise. "Oh, don't look so worried. It's true, Kira's still alive."

Athrun shook his head violently. "You're lying!" His machine pistol snapped into firing position, pointing directly at his erstwhile fiancé. "Just what kind of trick are you trying to pull now, Lacus Clyne? Kira's gone! There's no way he could be alive! I killed him!"

"Reverend Malchio found him unconscious and brought him to me," Lacus explained. "Then I found out what happened between you two; Kira told me." She tilted her head. "Don't you believe what I'm telling you? Do you even believe what you've seen with your own eyes? On the battlefield, or now that you've returned to the PLANTs after being away for so long? Haven't you seen that things are different?"

Now that she mentioned it... his father's uncertain, paranoid temper, the new mobile suits with N-jammer cancellers...

"What _is_ it you believe in?" she challenged him. "What is it you're fighting for now? Is it for that medal you received? Or your father's orders? Think about that; because if you continue on this course, you'll likely end up facing Kira as his enemy again." That got Athrun's attention. "And you'll be fighting me, as well." Lacus stood and walked right up to him, almost daring him to pull the trigger. "If I am to be your enemy, then you might as well shoot me now," she said in a determined voice. "Athrun Zala, soldier of ZAFT!"

He looked away, tears in his eyes, and lowered his gun. "I... It's all so..."

"It's Lacus!"

At the echoing whisper, they both turned, to see armed men in black suits and sunglasses running toward them. As he raised his gun again, the apparent leader of the gunman, a man with a mustache, smiled. "I see you've found her. You have our thanks, Athrun Zala."

"What is this?" he demanded, unconcerned that he had just nearly shot her himself.

"Naturally, her fiancé would know her best. You've saved us time." The man gestured with his machine pistol. "Now, please step away from her."

"What do you think you're doing?" Athrun stayed right where he was.

"That girl is a fugitive, charged with treason. We have orders to use lethal force if necessary." The man smiled coldly. "Are you _sure_ you want to protect her?"

"Those orders can't be right!"

Further debate was suddenly, startlingly cut off, by an echoing whisper that filled the theater. _"When the shadow strikes..."_

A barely-seen blur brushed past one of the gunmen, and the man screamed for an instant before dropping dead in his tracks. Literally.

"...only death remains..."

Another man fell, his head neatly lopped off as if by a sword, and the leader turned to his men. "Find it! Kill whatever it is!"

"Hello, mai ada," a metallic-edged voice said. A blur suddenly resolved itself into an armored man, standing before the hitman.

"Optic camouflage!" the man hissed. "Can't you even die right?"

"It's not my time. But it _is_ yours." The ninja-like figure lashed out with his blade, neatly decapitating this foe as well.

Athrun had by this time taken cover, taking Lacus with him, and he peered out as the gunfire ceased. A little too soon, as it turned out; another gunman was waiting. But before he could move, another shot rang out, and he dropped, as a man in ZAFT green walked over.

"Are you all right, Miss Lacus?" the red-haired man asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Lacus walked out from cover. "Thank you very much, Athrun!"

"Are you finished here, Miss Lacus? I think it's time _we_ got going as well."

"And Reverend Malchio?"

"He was able to take off safely." The man tucked away his gun. "We'd better go."

"Yes." She looked back at Athrun. "You'll find Kira on Earth," she told him. "I suggest that you have a talk with him; he _is_ your friend."

"Lacus!" Athrun broke off, glancing away.

The newcomer looked at the armored figure on his way out. "Coming, John?"

The ninja shook his head. "Get Lacus out of here, Martin; I'll catch up. Athrun and I need to talk."

"Very well."

As Lacus and "Martin" vanished, Athrun turned his attention to the swordsman... and realized he recognized him. "Invictus?"

Invictus nodded. "That's right. Been a while, Athrun."

"What are you doing here? And-" He broke off for a moment. "Martin? Was that _Martin DaCosta?"_

"Yeah. There are more of us than you know, old friend, and if you're smart, you'll join us."

Athrun's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'old friend'?"

Invictus yanked off his helmet... revealing the sandy hair, and jade eyes. "I don't have a name," the young man admitted, "not really; 'John Tyler' is just my most common alias. But if I had one, it would be Kevin Onishi."

Realization flooded him. "You're another clone of Kevin."

"That's right. You might call me Kevin Version 3.0," the clone cracked. "And by the way, you've got _no_ idea how much I hate this bloody helmet. I've barely taken the thing off in three years."

"There some kind of reason you're not killing me? And I thought you were Commander Le Creuset's private assassin."

"I'm not killing you, tovarisch, because I'm the only clone to have gotten all of the original's memories," Invictus said softly. "I realize I'm not exactly your friend, but in a sense you're mine. I'd never hurt you if I could avoid it."

Athrun snorted bitterly. "Kevin doesn't seem to have that problem."

"That's because he had some nasty experiences with ZAFT; but my template is from before that. I wasn't yet awake when they augmented me." He shrugged. "And as for Commander Le Creuset, well... Ours was a business arrangement, Athrun. I did odd jobs for him and he provided me with information. But we never exactly trusted each other -it could be no other way, since I'm a _direct_ copy of Hydra- and around the time the _Archangel_ returned to Earth, I took my leave of his service. I joined up with the Clynes about three weeks ago."

Athrun shook his head, trying to absorb the influx of information. "So you work for Lacus and her father. Then maybe you can tell me something: is it true that Kira's still alive? You should know him as well as I do."

"I wouldn't know," Invictus admitted. "I was on Earth when he arrived, and I got back a day after he and Hydra left. But, just as I 'remember' Kira, I know Lacus, so I'm not inclined to doubt her."

"I see." The pilot had to agree. "Any idea what Kevin was doing up here?"

"Same thing Kira was, I expect. They tell me some newfangled mental-interface system went haywire and nearly fried his brain, not to mention blowing half his face off." The clone quirked an eyebrow. "I guess even the great and powerful Hydra needs a little convalescence after something like that. Deadlier than me, though; I'm a wizard with a rapier or katana, but I'm not nearly as good with a gun as the original. Not sure about the others, though."

"Others?" Athrun tilted his head. "Just how many of you are running around, anyway?"

"As of now, besides Hydra himself, just two. I think." Invictus had to shrug again. "That madman Oracle didn't keep very good records, and they were mostly lost when Hydra vaporized the lab, but we think I was the second clone of twenty-three; the rest were part of the Serpent's Head Project, an effort to maximize combat effectiveness by making a lot of copies of the world's most lethal human being. Commander Le Creuset had me created before the end of the program, by a mole within the operation. The mole didn't survive the explosion, which left just the two of us knowing what I truly was. After that, I spent my free time hunting clones, and in fact that's what I was doing on Earth recently. Unfortunately, Carter got away at the last minute." His eyes narrowed. "Be very wary of him, Athrun. He doesn't have the same augmentation package as Hydra -or mine, for that matter- so he's not quite as strong, but our information suggests he's gone rogue, without even the Defense Committee holding him in check. From what we can gather, he managed to steal a new kind of mobile suit ZAFT's developing, something called a 'GuAIZ'."

Athrun frowned. "'GuAIZ'? I've never heard of it."

"Neither have we, and that's why we're worried. I doubt it'll be a match for your new machine -sources tell us you've been assigned ZGMF-X09A Justice- but the pilot is very dangerous, and we have reason to believe he's a genuine sociopath. Carter's feelings do not have any control over his actions, which makes him a very dangerous man. Watch your back, tovarisch."

Invictus turned his back, armor fading as he activated the optic camouflage, and soon Athrun stood alone in the abandoned theater, a confused and lonely young man.

* * *

A day later, the sling finally removed from his now-healed arm, Athrun sat in the cockpit of X09A Justice, waiting for the command to launch. 

Mechanics swarmed around, making final adjustments and disconnecting power and mooring cables. _"Check reactor readings."_

_Kira..._ he thought._ What are you thinking about now? And Kevin... is what Invictus said true? And do you even know he exists?_

_"Radiation levels are normal."_

_"Confirm separation of X09A."_

_"Separation of X09A confirmed."_ The voice's tone changed._ "May our Justice have the divine protection of the stars!"_

"Athrun Zala," Athrun said into the radio. "Justice launching!"

The red mobile suit, resembling his old Aegis with the addition of the backpack-light subflight system, launched out into space, heading for Earth... where he had been ordered to kill two old friends.

* * *

Author's note: Kira and Kevin are back aboard the _Archangel_, and the ship is on her way to Orb. Meanwhile, Athrun has learned the truth of Project ABADDON, and met Invictus again; will the cloned assassin meet the man from whose cells he was made? 

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, glad you liked the scene with Cagalli and Athrun; I rather thought it worked well.

Gojiro17, once again, thanks for the information. Not terribly relevant to the story, but I find it quite fascinating. As regards to Artemis, though… I doubt that you appreciate the full extent of what I'm planning. Suffice to say that it comes at the very end, and is _very_ ambitious…

Daniel Lynx, I think you can safely say Carter is Liquid, Invictus Solid; before long, Kevin will have his first encounter with Carter, and believe me, it won't be pretty.

You didn't actually miss anything, with regard to Kevin and Lacus' connection; that's something that comes much later. I honestly don't know if it will be that unexpected, but I imagine I'll at least be able to take _some_ people by surprise.

As for Kevin's respect for Le Creuset, I should mention that at the time I originally wrote that, I was under some mistaken impressions about him. That is no longer the case.

You're certainly correct about Kevin not taking Badgiruel's position very often; that was merely something that seemed like a good idea for that one instance, not a regular arrangement.

As for Battle Assault 3, I'm afraid that, while I have unlocked everything, I don't remember exactly which MS is found where; I'd suggest going to a website called Gamefaqs, which has a complete list of secrets.

Shinji Ikari, I must admit I'm somewhat surprised by your initial remarks; I always thought I was something of a plodder with battle scenes. Not that I'm complaining that you disagree, of course.

About what Cagalli said to Athrun… in the version I saw, "murderer" _was_ what she said. Can't say I'm surprised to hear it's different on the DVD, though; but in this case, I think "murderer" fit better, anyway.

I wouldn't think Cagalli would have a problem with Kevin being one of those who "betrayed us all"; after all, he did that work years before hostilities broke out between Earth and the PLANTs. He couldn't have known what was going to happen.

I realize it seems just a little convenient that Kevin would miss just then, when faced with Le Creuset, but, as you said, he has to miss _sometimes_, and to date he hasn't missed a shot in the entire story. Besides which, his augmentation probably isn't working as well as usual right then; after all, surge protectors or no, he _did_ take a very nasty "shock". In this case, I'm willing to overlook any possible problems with it.

I really don't see any reason to change anything, with regard to Stormhawk's beam sabers; it stands to reason that, though they may be more powerful than standard beam sabers, they _are_ four years out of date. The new ZAFT weapons, particularly if you factor in any knowledge they may have gleaned from the Stormhawk itself, would almost certainly be even more powerful.

When it comes to Lacus, I wouldn't call it character development per se; as far as I could tell, she was about the same as always during that time. She may seem a little less naïve, but it's my opinion she never _was_ that naïve, despite outward appearances, and Kevin would most assuredly know it.

By the way, I actually might go with your possible explanation for Kevin's continued "allergy" to death, but there's something very dramatic that I have in mind near the very end. I won't go into detail, but I will say this: whatever the series may lead you to believe, it is _physically impossible_ for Athrun to destroy GENESIS in the way he did. I'm not sure of the exact reasons for it, but a nuclear fission reactor _cannot_ go supercritical. It can meltdown, like at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island, but I gather that very geometry of the reactor utterly precludes the possibility of a genuine detonation.

Final point: I think we may _both _have misunderstood each other about the explanation of Kevin's abilities. However, since everything seems to be properly explained, I think it best to drop the subject before I give myself a headache trying to figure it all out.

**Now, for general information:** if you're interested in seeing more adventures involving Kevin Walker, I recommend reading NukeDawg's Gundam SEED Destiny: A New Saga, which now has Kevin involved. I think you'll find he's much the same as in this story.

Okay, now that I've spent an hour at this, I'll wrap up. Let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	25. Chapter 25: Eye of the Storm

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Invictus, and Jack Carter

* * *

The fifteenth of May, C.E. 71; nearly four months after the day it all began. 

Kevin Walker sat at his post on the _Archangel_'s Bridge; in the absence of Natarle Badgiruel, he had taken over the Combat Information Center beneath the main Bridge; it was a post from which he would be often absent, of course, as his skills and his mobile suit could be even more valuable, but when grounded, Kevin served as the ship's combat commander and strategist.

At this particular moment, he watched Onogoro Island grow on the monitors, as an Orb aircraft under the direction of Colonel Ledonir Kisaka guided them in. It had been about a month since they last left, after over three weeks in drydock; this time, the _Archangel_ was at least as bad off, with a gaping hole in the starboard flight deck where a hatch should have been, badly damaged engines, nonfunctional levitators, slagged missile tubes, destroyed Igelstellungs, and both Valiant linear cannons blown to scrap metal. They'd be awhile repairing _that._

Repairs, however, were the last things on Kevin's mind; for he was anticipating a reunion with his closest friend. Though half his face was gone (he still hadn't had a chance to get it fixed), he knew Cagalli Yula Athha would recognize him instantly.

He was also looking forward to seeing her reaction to seeing Kira again. The relationship between them (which Cagalli had always insisted -loudly- was nothing of the sort) had always amused him greatly, the more so since recovering from the desire to blow himself to bits. Kevin figured she'd either berate Kira mercilessly for putting her through this, or cry on his shoulder for half an hour.

Maybe both. Either way, Kevin would be careful not to show his amusement _too_ much; lest his friends toss him through a bulkhead. And his augmentation didn't do much to prevent bruises or headaches. Or mild concussions.

"Well, it looks like we made it," Murrue Ramius said with a sigh.

"Yeah," Mu La Flaga concurred from the copilot's seat. "Alaska to Orb in seven days; this old girl could've made it in a lot less without that beating we took."

"Not our fault we got used as bait, Mu," Kevin said, standing and walking to the front of the Bridge. He stretched idly, working out the kinks from having sat in a chair too long. "Speaking of which, something really doesn't smell right about it."

"What do you mean?" Ramius asked, curious; she had learned to trust the young warrior's hunches. "You think there was more to it than simple good intelligence?"

"Yeah, I do." He started pacing. "Think about it, Murrue. Obviously someone gave the Earth Alliance Headquarters information that an attack was being planned on JOSHUA; and I don't believe for an instant that this was a 'spur of the moment' change in targets. If it were, HQ wouldn't have known so far in advance, because nobody _else_ would've, either. And the way ZAFT fought there tells me that the same someone who gave information to the Alliance _also_ gave information about JOSHUA to ZAFT; 'sudden' change of targets or no, they were far too well-informed about the defenses." Kevin shrugged. "_That_ tells me that someone is playing both sides against the middle, and I don't like that. Unfortunately, I don't have enough data to figure out who; I'll have to wait until I see Orb's intelligence."

"You think they'll just give it to you?" La Flaga swiveled to face him. "I mean, that would be pretty secret, wouldn't it?"

Snake snorted. "You forget who I am, Mu. Kevin Walker is nobody. _Baron Onishi_, on the other hand, can get anything up to and including a _battleship_ if he needs it to further his goals. Such are the benefits" the word seemed to leave a bad taste in his mouth "of being high-born."

* * *

Cagalli watched with her father, Erica Simmons, and a handful of other important officials as the _Archangel_ slid neatly into the dock, hardly able to stand still. The news from the _Archangel_ had nearly given her heart failure, and even now she worried that it had all somehow been a mistake in communications. 

Unable to contain herself any longer, she ran from the observation room, heading quickly to the ship as it came to a rest. Uzumi Nara Athha glanced at her, but made no move to stop his daughter. He knew how important two of the people aboard that ship were to her; besides which, he knew that if he tried to interfere, he would face more than just _her_ wrath. And the Baron's wrath was not often survivable.

Cagalli raced through the hatch as it opened and paused before an elevator door. As it opened, she stepped aside to let the ship's doctor and another crewman pass with a stretcher; she winced as she saw the man's injuries, for among other things, he seemed to have lost an eye. That made her nervous, for the _Archangel_'s message traffic had not included casualty lists. If either of them were hurt...

_They won't be,_ she told herself._ If they're alive, they'll be fine. They're too good to get hurt!_

The princess was soon walking the corridors of a higher deck, glancing down each side corridor... until she saw the face she was looking for, heading in the opposite direction down a parallel passage. _"Kira!"_

Kira turned. "Cagalli-! Oof!" Cagalli jumped at him, knocking him off his feet and slamming him painfully to the deck.

She didn't let him up, instead pounding her fist on his chest. "You _idiot!_ How could you do something so stupid? You're just-!" Tears filled her eyes, streaming down her face. "You're so-" Cagalli hung her head, crying. "I thought... I'd never see you again... How could you do that to me?"

Kira let his head sink to the deck. "Sorry," he said quietly.

She finally looked up. "So you're... really alive?" she whispered.

He smiled. "Yeah. I'm alive. And I _did_ come back." His eyes closed for a second, apparently concentrating. "Kevin's coming."

"Huh?" Cagalli managed a smile. "Don't tell me _you_ have a radio in your head now, too!"

"Actually, it's a kind of psychic link," Kevin said from behind her; though Kira hadn't realized it, he'd arrived in time to see the whole thing, and only barely contained himself. He wasn't sure if the barely-suppressed laughter came from amusement... or pleasure, at seeing his friends reunited. "Catch you at a bad time, tovarisch?"

Even the genetically-engineered, cybernetically-augmented killing machine had no time to react as she threw herself at him, knocking him backwards into the bulkhead hard enough to make his ears ring.

Behind them, Kira picked himself up and chuckled as Cagalli pounded her fist on _Kevin's_ chest... which, incidentally, hurt her more than it did him. "You stupid, brainless _moron!_ You tell me you're going to be fine, and then you go off and try to blow yourself up again-! Where have you _been?"_

Kevin groggily shook his head, trying to clear it; he hadn't been hit that hard since that rocket attack in Banadiya. "Hey, I'm here, aren't I?" he said quietly. "And it wasn't exactly _my_ idea to be blown up like that." He reached up and lightly touched her face. "I came back, just like I said."

She hugged him. "I thought you were gone," Cagalli whispered. "Just like two years ago. All we found of the Stormhawk was a hand, and Athrun... said you were both gone."

He stiffened slightly. "Athrun? You've been busy."

"Yeah." She pulled back, and saw the metal where his face should have been. "The face is gone again? What happened?"

"When the Aegis self-destructed, it kinda turned his seat into an electric chair," Kira explained. "And the Zero System messed up his head a little."

"Fortunately, I have built-in surge protectors," Kevin said dryly. "And I see you've learned some new historical analogies, Kira; I don't think they've used electric chairs in a couple centuries."

His friend grinned. "I did some research; I got kinda tired of not understanding your weird metaphors."

"Well, now that you're back, I'm sure you can get it fixed soon." Cagalli finally stood, allowing her old friend to get up. She winced as she saw his right eye flicker; apparently she'd hit him a little _too_ hard, and now Kevin's eye was flickering between the basic red and life-imitating green.

The problem was gone a second later as he adjusted his internal software to compensate. "Ouch. Yeah, it'll be fine; I'm looking forward to looking like a normal human being again, instead of something out of an old horror movie. I'm fit to scare children, and frankly, peculiar as my fashion sense may be, it doesn't include a bare-metal face."

"Yeah, I bet." Cagalli glanced between them. "So what's this about a 'psychic link'?"

* * *

By this time, Athha and Kisaka had arrived on the _Archangel_'s Bridge. "I want to thank you for coming to our aid once again," Ramius said, bowing slightly to the former Chief Representative. 

"You're quite welcome," Athha said graciously. "I'm sure you understand why we can't make you and your crew _too_ welcome as yet," he went on, "but at least you'll finally have a chance to get some rest."

"Thank you for understanding." She, too, understood; it could be awkward for Orb to be harboring deserters from the Earth Forces, particularly after all the trouble HQ had gone to to insure there would be none to tell the truth of what had happened. Dead men told no tales, after all.

Yet Ramius was equally certain that Athha had something up his sleeve. He always seemed to, anyway. _What was it Kevin called him? A 'crafty bastard'? Not exactly polite, but probably accurate. Of course, our reptilian friend isn't exactly the most unbiased observer, is he?_ Kevin had told her of the tension that had always been between them, bordering on enmity, which seemed to center around the young man's close friendship with Athha's daughter. _I suppose every father feels the same way, even if nothing happens between them._ She smiled to herself. _He only ever seems to act like a normal teenager around that girl; they really must be close to engender the kind of loyalty he has to her. Kevin would do anything she asked; even if it meant killing someone, I expect._ Once the thought would have disturbed her, but Ramius knew both of them quite well by now.

"After you've all had a chance to relax, I'll bring you up-to-date on the latest intelligence we've gathered." Athha had an odd expression on his face. "With the Earth Forces Headquarters gone, the world has once again shifted in a new direction; and the news we've heard will give you much to think about. It may even make you question why you decided to put on that uniform in the first place."

Ramius tilted her head. _What?_

* * *

"So you talked to Athrun?" Kira asked. 

"Yeah; we'd gone out looking for you guys, but we found him instead."

Kira, Cagalli, and Kevin were in the _Archangel_'s hanger, standing on the walkway that had once provided access to the Strike, and now stretched before the Freedom.

"I'm still kinda surprised he survived it himself," Kevin murmured. "He couldn't have had time to get very far."

"He was on the beach, half in the water. He was devastated," Cagalli said quietly. "He kept crying about what he thought he'd done to you... and then he realized he'd gone after the wrong guy."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Kevin had already figured it out. "Athrun must have realized it was me that killed the Blitz, not you, Kira." At his friend's look of surprise, he shrugged. "I guess the shockwave must have messed with your head a little, tovarisch, because it wasn't you that killed Nicol Amalfi. It was my Stormhawk's cannon, which I apparently didn't focus quite enough."

"But... but I..." Kira could hardly understand. "All this time, I thought I..."

Snake shook his head. "That's one thing that needn't be on your conscience, tovarisch. Mine."

"What happened?" Cagalli still hadn't heard that story yet.

"There was another battle before that," Kira explained. "In which I cut down -or thought I cut down- Athrun's friend, and then he did the same to Tolle."

"No, he didn't," she disputed, shaking her head. "We found him, still in his ejection seat. He was hurt pretty bad by the explosion, and he's still unconscious, but he made it."

Kevin sighed in relief. "Good to know I did _something _right in that battle, even if it was my own machine that ultimately knocked him out of the sky. That's why I wasn't able to get out of range when Athrun blew himself up."

"There was no other option," Kira murmured. "For me... and I'm sure for Athrun, as well."

"You three were friends, right?" Cagalli asked. "Ever since you were kids?"

He nodded. "Ever since we've known him, Athrun has always been a loyal friend. We knew that if we needed him, he'd always be there to help out."

She turned. "You must have known you'd have to fight him eventually," she said. "So why did you guys stay with the Earth Forces? I mean, you're Coordinators, so it seems pretty stupid to stay when you know you might have to fight your friend."

Kira leaned back, thinking. "I thought that if I didn't," he said finally, "my other friends would lose _their_ lives. So I stayed, _because_ I am a Coordinator." Kira gazed up at the Freedom. "The truth is, the honest truth is... I guess I never seriously thought that I would have to take his life, or that Athrun would have to take mine."

Kevin spent even longer thinking on his answer. "It's not quite that way with me," he said at last. "For one thing, I never intended to stay with the Earth Forces after reaching Earth. I just intervened to help the _Archangel_ make it through reentry, then the ship happened to land at my destination. I stayed on after that for pretty much the same reason. But unlike Kira, I never had any doubts that we would eventually come to blows." His jade eyes, one natural, one mechanical, closed. "In fact, I swore to kill him. I'm not like you two; not exactly. The last three years, my life's been a little harsher. And after what happened to me, Athrun's decision to join ZAFT was a personal betrayal." He looked at his friends. "I wish it hadn't come to this, but as long as he remains with them, he's my enemy."

Cagalli looked at him, seeing the evidence of Kevin's brushes with death. The metal face; the scars, invisible under the shirt and jacket, that were left over from the brutal torture and horrific surgery... All of it evidence of how close he'd come to death. And she didn't want him to leave her like that.

"Kevin..." she began hesitantly. "Maybe... maybe you should take it easy, you know? Maybe it's time... you left this to others."

His jade eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... You've come close to dying so many times -you _have_ died, even! Isn't it maybe time for you to get out of this while you still can? Stop fighting while you're still alive?"

Kevin looked away. "Cagalli, please don't ask me that. _Please._ You know I'd do anything for you, but not that. I... I _can't._ This isn't just vengeance, tovarisch. I can't even _sleep_ the whole night through until this is over. _Please_ don't ask this of me... because it's the one thing I can't do."

Before Cagalli could protest, Kira broke in. "He's right, Cagalli. I don't like it either, but... after that last battle with Athrun, I saw it. His nightmare, I mean. I saw what happened... and now I see what he has to do, _why_ he has to do it." He shrugged helplessly. "It's not really living if you can't rest, you know?"

She looked away. "I know, but... I've already nearly lost you both. I..."

"I know, tovarisch," Kevin said gently. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "I don't much like it either. But there's no point in living if you can't feel alive, and I can't; not the way things are. I've told you what ABADDON did to me. Unless I can lay that part of my past to rest, it'll never be over. It's the only way I'll have peace."

Cagalli looked up. "Revenge won't bring you redemption, Kevin. You know that."

"Yeah, I do. But I don't need redemption, now, do I?" He smiled. "You guys saved me, remember? You two and a blind monk took care of that. But the only way I can stop reliving that night is by killing the last person involved. After that, sure, I'll give some serious thought to retiring. But until then, retirement would be kinda pointless."

"Yeah," she said at last. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But you'd better be more careful about it from now on. If you die, I'll never speak to you again!"

* * *

A few days later, they gathered in a conference room at the Morgenroete factory. Athha and Kisaka sat at the table opposite Ramius, and La Flaga, Neumann, Kira, Cagalli, and Kevin stood near the wall behind her. 

Kevin's face had been fixed, finally, and that had put an end to the phantom itching that had plagued him for weeks.

Athha began the meeting. "Now that you've all had time to rest and recover from your recent battles, it's time we brought you up-to-date on the political situation. Also," he added, glancing at Kevin, "I'll have one of our intelligence analysts here later; he has some information that concerns you, Baron. And, I believe, he's a relative of yours."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "A relative? That wouldn't be Cousin Frank, would it?"

"Yes, it is. And no, he is not yet aware that you're alive; I believed you would prefer that to remain your prerogative."

He nodded. "Quite."

La Flaga turned his head. "'Cousin Frank'?"

"It's easy to forget, Mu," Kevin explained, "but I actually do have some living relations. A lot of cousins, in fact. Frank Castile is about ten years older than I am, and he's been in Orb Intelligence for awhile now. I haven't seen him since I was ten. The Castile branch of the family isn't nobility, but they have a respectable fortune all their own, though Frank could care less about money. He thinks he's James Bond, and he goes out of his way to prove it, regardless of money." He shrugged. "The rest of the family doesn't really understand him either, but Frank talks Bond, acts Bond, and even _looks_ Bond. He only drinks vodka martinis; I suspect he's even given up on water."

Ramius smiled in amusement. "Are _any_ of your family normal?"

He feigned astonishment. "Well, of course not, Murrue. If they were completely sane, they won't be my family, now would they?"

Kevin was either distracted or pretended not to notice Neumann's muttered comment. "Like _that's_ hard to figure out."

"Now," Athha broke in, steering the conversation back to pertinent matters, "can you tell me just what happened at Alaska?"

"Sir, we were used as bait," La Flaga told him. He handled the briefing, since he was the one who'd discovered the Cyclops system in the first place.

It took nearly an hour, and at the end Athha shook his head, bemused. "A Cyclops System?" Despite his disbelieving tone, he clearly believed them. "But even if they had intelligence that far in advance, it seems to me that using such a weapon is a rather extreme course of action."

"But," Kisaka put in, "you can't deny that they destroyed eighty percent of ZAFT's fighting strength with one blow. If you consider that, it seems to make a certain strategic sense, and disposing of unwanted forces at the same time would be an added bonus."

"Well, this is the result." Uzumi pointed a remote control at a monitor, and a press release from the Atlantic Federation played.

They watched in silence as the spokesman spoke angrily of the casualties at Alaska (casualties, Kevin noticed they did not mention, _they_ had arranged), and went on to advocate stronger measures against Coordinators in general, especially those few still on Earth.

When it ended, La Flaga's eyes narrowed. "I can see why it's happening, but it sure is tough to swallow."

Athha nodded. "To go along with the tone of their rhetoric, the Atlantic Federation has been increasing pressure on all the neutral nations, encouraging them to join the Alliance. They're saying that any state which does not go along with their demands will subsequently be considered an enemy nation." He looked grim. "Our own nation of Orb is no exception, of course."

"They just want to get their hands on Orb's power," Cagalli said angrily.

"Yeah," Kevin agreed. "And you know, this kind of thing makes me kinda understand why Coordinators in general are so hostile toward Naturals."

"Yes," Athha said slowly, "and you would be in the best position to make an unbiased observation, wouldn't you, Baron? After all, you're neither Natural nor Coordinator."

The remark, delivered in an offhand tone, produced absolute silence in the room, as all eyes turned to the one called Snake. The completely unexpected statement had startled everyone in the room... including the young man they stared at. But his shock had a different cause.

First he said a Russian obscenity in a strangled whisper. Then Kevin's eyes locked on Uzumi's, and his hand twitched reflexively toward the gun he carried even here. _"Just how in the world did you know that?"_ he demanded in a harsh whisper. "There shouldn't be anyone alive who knows that!"

Ramius opened her mouth to ask a question, but Cagalli beat her to it. "What is he talking about, Kevin?"

"GUARDIAN," her father said.

"Project Guardian," Kevin confirmed, eyes still locked on Athha. "And I want to know how the _blazes_ you found out about that, Lord Uzumi. There is not a living being besides myself that should even know the codeword, much less my connection to it."

"Your father told me of it," Uzumi admitted. "I doubt he would have done so if he thought he had a choice, since, while we were _political_ allies, I will freely confess your father and I never quite got along. But John apparently decided someone should know, in case anything were to happen to him and your mother."

"You kept this from me?" Kevin demanded. "We've met several times since my parents died, Lord Uzumi, and I only found out two months ago, from my father's papers. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was not my place; and I should also point out I was not aware you were alive until after you had already discovered the information for yourself. And, I must admit, the knowledge of what you were _was_ a factor in my... discomfort with your close friendship with Cagalli."

"Is there... something we should know?" La Flaga asked carefully. He'd always thought it didn't matter to Athha what someone's genes looked like, so why...?

"Now that the estimable former politician has spilled the beans, I suppose there's no help for it," Snake said, an edge in his voice. "He's right; I'm not a Natural, and I'm not a Coordinator. I'm something else, something designed from birth as the ultimate soldier. ABADDON, you see, was the _second_ super-soldier program I was involved with. The first predated my birth."

The others, particularly Cagalli, were stunned, but La Flaga nodded slowly. It explained a great deal, such as the strength his young friend had displayed even without his augmentation online.

"Maybe you'd like to explain that, _tovarisch_?" Cagalli said, using Kevin's own favorite word. "And why haven't I heard this before?"

"It was eighteen years ago," he said, leaning back against the wall. "A year before my birth, and two before the Torino Protocol banned genetic engineering again. Baron John Onishi, my father, was a shrewd man; he had to be, to be a successful politician. He saw that war between Earth and the PLANTs was practically inevitable, and he also knew how unlikely it was that Orb would willing enter the conflict. So he decided to take action on his own. What Dad did was use his own twin children as a contingency plan; first by modifying my brother Mike, then using what they'd learned from him to 'improve' me even more. Mike wasn't as strong as I am, not by a long shot, nor as smart; his strength was only twenty-five percent greater than Coordinator norm, whereas mine is a one hundred percent increase, fully seventy-five percent greater than his, and double a normal Coordinator."

"Your brother?" Ramius frowned. "I didn't know you had one."

"Michael Carnehan, wasn't it?" La Flaga said. "The one you killed in Banadiya?"

"That's right," Kevin acknowledged with a nod. "We were to be Orb's secret weapons; but Dad hoped we'd never even have to know what we were, much less go into battle. That's why he always pushed me toward politics. But his plan mostly went right; the difficulty arose when he and my mother made the mistake of separating us as a safety measure. A sound idea on the face of it, but Mike was sent to the PLANTs, where he was fully indoctrinated into their way of thinking. So that part of the plan was a failure, and my father went back to work, attempting to compensate for the loss. Hence MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke. You probably wondered, just as I did, why a brilliant engineer like my father would have devised something such as the Zero System, which even the brightest _Coordinator_ would have great difficulty with. The answer is simple: the production models, had there been any, wouldn't have had it at all, because the prototype was meant specifically for me."

"'A body capable of greater strength, and a mind capable of acquiring more knowledge'," Kira whispered, remembering the words of George Glenn, the first Coordinator. "Kevin, if you're that much _stronger_..."

His friend nodded. "Right, tovarisch. My mental capabilities were similarly improved over Coordinators, and that's why I can handle the Zero System. Dad was a farsighted man, whatever my problems with him may have been, and his plan succeeded well beyond his highest expectations." He grinned, somewhat ruefully. "See, despite the changes they made to my genetic structure, the scientists who made me what I am did not realize I had become a zoanthrope in the process, and I never told anyone but you, Cagalli, and... our mutual friend. Add to that the further enhancement from ABADDON..."

"So that's why you can snap even others of your kind in half," Cagalli murmured. She looked at him accusingly. "So why didn't you tell me?"

"Come on, tovarisch, I only found out back in March. The secrecy habits of three years are hard to break, too. And..." He looked away. "I wasn't sure how you'd react."

She punched his shoulder. "You idiot. Did you really think I'd care? If even seeing you made into a cyborg didn't bother me, how could you think that something that happened before you were _born_ would matter?"

"It doesn't matter to the rest of us, either," Ramius said firmly. "Besides, you're the only person we've got to run CIC, and this would be a pretty silly reason to lose you, now wouldn't it?"

"So, if you're not a Coordinator _or_ a Natural, what are you?" Neumann asked.

Kevin shrugged. "Who knows? The Guardian, I guess, but if I catch any of you calling me that, I'll knock your teeth out."

"The next generation of Coordinator," Athha clarified. "Something which I confess I was never, and still am not, very comfortable with. Even if Orb cannot remain neutral in this war, Guardian was, in my view, a mistake."

"Yes, I'm sure." Snake's eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to him. "And that's another part of why you did what you did."

"Did what?" Kira asked from behind him.

Kevin could see that Athha didn't want him to speak of it, and he still wasn't sure how Cagalli would react to it, but he was too angry to care. "A restaurant. The capital of Orb, two years ago. Freelance assassin Jeffrey Adler, staking out a rooftop ninety meters away; easy shot. Weapon of choice: antique Heckler & Koch PSG-1 semiautomatic sniper rifle, 7.62 millimeter, five-round magazine. His target sits at a table, with one companion; Adler fires one shot, missing when he underestimates the subject's reaction time. The target stands, turns, and draws a ZAFT standard-issue machine pistol. Adler fires a second shot; by the time the bullet crosses the distance, he is already dead, with a bullet through his nose. His target dies eight seconds later, his heart blown away. Both bodies disappear, though Adler's is later found with a note saying 'The Baron is avenged'."

There was silence for about two seconds as those present assimilated the data and remembered just which baron had been killed two years previously in an outdoor restaurant by a professional assassin. Two seconds to remember someone they all knew very well.

And then Cagalli erupted. _"YOU HAD MY BEST FRIEND SHOT?"_

Everyone present winced at the volume (Kevin in particular; he had ears that could hear the grass grow); but La Flaga hid a smile. Had either of the high-born young people known what he was smiling about, of course, he'd have been killed on the spot.

Athha, usually the consummate politician, was in this case completely at a loss for words. When he'd ordered the assassination, he'd truly believed it was the right thing to do, to protect his nation and his daughter; and he hadn't expected that anyone would ever find out. Now that the victim of the attack had just outlined it in cold, clear terms, however...

"You knew," Cagalli went on, voice still fit to shatter eardrums, "you _knew_ how I'd feel if he died and you went ahead and did it anyway?"

"At the time, I had but recently learned that the Baron had been part of Project ABADDON," her father attempted to explain, "and I was not aware that it had been involuntary. In order to protect Orb, and you, I-"

"As if Kevin would ever do anything to hurt me!"

Kevin decided it was time to step in. "Okay, tovarisch," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We get the idea that you're not happy about it. I'm not, either; and frankly, if he weren't your father, I'd probably have killed him for it. But what's done is done, and, for what it's worth, he won't do it again."

The unspoken _"Or else"_ was heard quite clearly by those present.

That mollified Cagalli... a little. "All right," she said. "But this isn't the end of it."

Kevin and La Flaga exchanged looks, in total agreement: they were both devoutly grateful they would both be elsewhere when _that_ father-daughter talk occurred.

Ramius broke the uncomfortable silence, attempting to steer things back to the original -and less inflammatory- topic. "So, sir, what are Orb's intentions in this matter?"

Athha looked grateful for the change in subject. "As you know, Orb makes no distinction between Natural and Coordinator. We are one of the few nations that will let anyone enter and reside within our borders, so long as they adhere to our ideals and laws. We believe that making distinctions based on whether or not someone's genes have been engineered only serves to divide people." At this, Cagalli looked at Kira; for some reason, when he looked back, she looked startled and jerked away a few centimeters. "Cagalli is a Natural," her father went on, "and Kira, of course, is a Coordinator. These are facts which they have absolutely no control over."

As all eyes turned to them, Cagalli blushed, prompting Kira to smile. "You're right, sir," he said a moment later.

La Flaga, however, had a different view of things. "Those are certainly worthy goals, sir," he said carefully, "and forgive me for arguing," he added quickly, "but isn't your position kind of... idealistic? Those all sound like wonderful ideas, but Coordinators will continue to look down on Naturals, and in return Naturals will still be jealous of Coordinators; it's just the way things are."

"I am aware of that. It is difficult for Orb to maintain this position, of course." Athha stood and walked over to the wall. "But if we were to accept their position, we would be left with no choice but to annihilate each other. After that, there would be nothing to do but reflect and regret that which passed. My friends, you would not suggest that we do nothing, simply because that is what the rest of the world is doing, would you?" He turned back to them. "You all may now choose your own path. I would understand if you still felt some loyalty to those whose uniform you wear, but you are all young, and capable." Athha looked back at the wall. "Make your decisions carefully, and be sure to choose the future that you truly desire; there is still time."

"Lord Uzumi, what's _your_ view on all this?"

Athha turned at the unexpected question from Kira; the young pilot, for his part, had clearly changed, from his confident expression when speaking to the man who, for all intents and purposes, still _was_ Orb. "I believe we are entering a time when our swords can no longer be merely for display."

Kira smiled.

"Well, then," Kisaka put in, "I believe now would be a good time to bring in our analyst."

"Quite," Athha agreed. He pressed an intercom button. "Send in Agent Castile."

A moment later, the door opened and a man in his mid-twenties, with black hair and blue eyes, wearing a tuxedo, stepped in. "You called, sir-" He broke off suddenly, seeing Kevin standing on the other side of the room. "Well, if it isn't the black sheep of the family," the man said after a moment. "You're supposed to be dead, Kev."

"Aren't we all," Kevin said dryly. "Kira, everybody, this is my cousin Frank Castile. Frank, meet Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga, Arnold Neumann, and Kira Yamato; you know Cagalli, of course."

"The Hawk of Endymion, huh?" Castile looked impressed. "Quite the company you keep these days, Cousin. And, of course, who can forget your royal friend. You two ever- uh, never mind," he said hastily, seeing his cousin's hand reach for what could only be a gun. "So, if you're alive, I guess that explains the briefing I was told to prepare. ABADDON, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin acknowledged, head tilted and eyes narrow. "What do you know, Frank?"

"Well, first a little background information. You, obviously, already know it all, but I'm guessing these officers don't." Castile opened a briefcase and took out some papers. "I'd tell you this is classified, but I think your security clearance is higher than mine, anyway, so I won't bother; and you don't care about the rules anyway. Okay, ABADDON. Orb Intelligence got a surprising amount of information about it before somebody set off a fusion bomb at the lab -that was you, right?- and we actually know a little bit more than you do."

He proceeded to outline the operation, beginning with the planning stages, of which Kevin himself had little knowledge. Much of the information was conjecture, of course, but it fit with what he knew; and the data, surprisingly complete, of the recruitment stage was spot-on.

"Now, Kevin, I have to admit," he admitted, "that I'm the one who gave Lord Uzumi the intel that you were part of the project; and that it was my analysis that led to you being deemed a threat. Our information was a little off, but then the Onishi branch has never been entirely sane, so..."

Kevin snorted. "You're one to talk, Frank. I remember Great-Aunt Edna Castile, and it would take some doing for _any_ of my branch to be as nutty as she was."

"True, true," Castile acknowledged. "She did go a little 'batty' there in the end, didn't she?" That got strange looks from the _Archangel_ officers, but Cagalli and Kevin both laughed at the in-joke. "Anyway, one thing we heard about Hydra but were never able to confirm was that he supposedly had some kind of very close relationship with his exec, Rachel Carver-"

"Frank," Kevin interrupted through gritted teeth, _"shut up."_

Castile audibly swallowed, seeing the jade-ice look and remembering that his cousin was, in fact, the ZAFT agent of whom he was speaking. He was also quite frightened; he was ten years Snake's senior, but he had no doubt the younger man could kill him very easily. "Sorry, Boss," he managed. "Anyway," he said, clearing his throat, "I guess you guys know all that. What you need to know is the data we have on one Jack Carter."

"Jack Carter: a.k.a. Crimson Tiger. One of my aliases." Snake cocked his head. "But I assume you're referring to Jack Carter, the clone, ace pilot with ZAFT."

His cousin raised an eyebrow. "You've been busy, cousin mine. Yes, John Carter, the clone. Our intelligence suggests that he's gone completely rogue; it seems something went wrong with the genetic sequencing, and while he's still technically sane, he appears to have become a complete sociopath. That makes him very dangerous, Kevin."

"Yeah, I know," Kevin said dryly. "He's got my intellect, but without my memories or emotional controls on how I _use_ that intellect. You don't have to tell _me_ what that means; Andy Waltfeld was a friend of mine, and my teacher. He knew that kind of thing."

Castile blinked. This iteration of his young cousin was proving to be very different from the one he remembered. Frank himself wasn't a bad shot with his chosen weapon (an antique 7.65 millimeter Walther PPK, of course), but if he had to guess, this cybernetically-augmented killing machine would out-shoot him without hardly thinking about it. Not to mention the fact that he was obviously a skilled strategist and tactician, in addition to understanding psychology.

Like Mu La Flaga, he was glad Kevin was on _his_ side.

"Well," Castile said after a moment, "what you should also know is that Carter seems to have stolen a prototype for a new mass-produced ZAFT mobile suit, something called a 'GuAIZ'; and intel suggests he may be heading for Orb. He has no way of knowing what significance this nation has for you or himself, but I'm sure he's quite capable of tracking you here."

"So I should be prepared for a run-in with myself. Wonderful." Kevin snorted. "At least I'll know when he's near. So, Frank, got any other news to brighten my evening?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Frank glanced at his notes. "It's difficult to be certain, but the medical examination conducted when you were getting your eye replaced two years ago indicated that at least twenty-three genetic samples were taken of you, almost certainly for cloning purposes; ABADDON was apparently farther ahead in that field than anyone suspected. The problem is, even correlating our data with sources inside ZAFT has accounted for only twenty-two clones. Twenty-one of them are confirmed dead -for some reason, it appears someone was hunting them- so that just leaves Carter... and the hypothetical twenty-third." He snapped his briefcase shut. "That's about all we know. Watch yourself, Cousin."

Snake nodded thoughtfully as his cousin left, then abruptly stood straight up and said one word: "Azrael."

Heads turned at the complete non sequitur. "What, Kevin?" Ramius asked.

"Azrael," he repeated. "Do you recall the name?"

"You don't mean Muruta Azrael, do you?" La Flaga inquired. "CEO of the Defense Industries Association? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Muruta Azrael," Kevin said precisely, "is one of the biggest reasons I never trusted the Earth Alliance. That nekulturny bastard's been on my hit list for years, though I never seriously thought I could get at him." He absently stroked the grips of his revolver. "You see, Azrael is the _head_ of Blue Cosmos."

Athha turned away from the wall, a look of surprise on his face. "Are you certain?"

"Oh, yeah. I... let's say 'interrogated' members of Blue Cosmos from various cells, over the year and a half they were actively chasing me, and they all, or at least all the more senior ones, told me that a major source of their funding was the Defense Industries Association."

"That's... not so surprising, I guess," La Flaga said after a moment.

"Indeed," Kisaka agreed. "After all, the Defense Industries Association _is_ the largest supplier of military hardware for the Earth Alliance, and the Alliance has firm anti-Coordinator sentiments; so it makes sense." He looked at the young super-soldier. "Might I ask how you persuaded them to give you the information? And what you did with them afterwards?"

"You don't want to know what my interrogation methods were," Kevin said flatly. "Let's just say that during that time I wasn't exactly known for my compassion or mercy. As to what I did with them afterwards, well... I shot them, of course. And don't tell me I shouldn't have done it, either," he added harshly. "You've no right to judge me, not after what I've been through, and I'd do it again today. Those bastards had it coming."

"Who said anything about judging you?" Cagalli demanded. "Lighten up, will you, Kevin? We're on _your_ side, remember?"

He blinked, apparently only then remembering whom he was with. "Oh, right." Kevin stretched. "Well, if it's all the same to you guys, I'm going to go pay a visit home, check up on things. Kira? Cagalli? You coming?"

Both nodded; Cagalli, in part because she still didn't really want to let either of them out of her sight, and Kira because he still hadn't seen much of the family seat of the eccentric Onishi clan.

"Mind if I tag along?" La Flaga asked unexpectedly. He smiled and shrugged. "Sounds like an interesting place."

Kevin shrugged. "Why not? And come to think of it, there's an area that I think you'll find particularly interesting."

* * *

Night had fallen by the time the four reached the dark, empty Onishi Mansion. That didn't bother Kevin any; with the _Archangel_ still undergoing extensive repairs, he'd intended to sleep there that night anyway. 

This time, they didn't bother with the concealed tunnel; while "the Baron's" survival still was not widely known, he was no longer actively trying to hide it, either. So it was that they entered through the main door, and La Flaga immediately raised an eyebrow. "Whoa. Pretty impressive. So how much did this place cost?"

"Mu, there's an old saying: if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." Kevin stepped in, taking a deep breath of the slightly dusty air. "I used to live here, if you can believe it. And there's still a lot of interesting artifacts here. Follow me."

He led his companions to a door (this one, unlike his study, in plain sight). Predictably, this, too, had a password lock. But it was Cagalli who stepped forward. "Corpus Caput," she said clearly, and the door swung open.

La Flaga glanced at the young noble. "'Corpus Caput'? Does your family have a fetish for death or something?"

"Not exactly; it simply happens to be quite accurate." Kevin walked through the doorway and swept his hand out. "Welcome to the Onishi family museum and armory."

Cagalli, of course, was quite familiar with the place; and she snorted a laugh at the sight of one statue, a twice-life-size sculpture of a woman holding a machine gun. "Hey, Kevin. Isn't that...?"

He saw where she was pointing and chuckled himself. "Yes, it is. We still keep her around, if only for comic relief."

"'Her'?" Kira repeated blankly.

"My Great-Aunt Edna," Kevin said sagely. "Frank's grandmother. We always knew she was a little ...strange... but we knew she was beyond saving when she tried to have her prize bats do her taxes."

La Flaga burst out laughing. "So _that's_ what he meant by batty!"

"Uh-huh. That's not all; by the terms of her will, Great-Aunt Edna's body was sealed in a marble statue, cradling a machine gun. Just as strange in death as in life, but we indulged her anyway. That was about ten years ago now."

"So how'd she die?" Kira asked.

"Well," Cagalli said, taking up the tale, "by that time she'd actually started to think she _was_ a bat. And her room at the asylum was on the fourth floor, so when someone forgot to close the window..."

"Splat," La Flaga finished. He scratched his head, looking at the huge collection of items in the museum. "Is this place a museum, or a mausoleum?"

"A little of both," Kevin admitted. "And- _down!"_

La Flaga and Cagalli, both of whom had had military training, obeyed on instinct, dropping behind display cases; Kira, who had not, had his feet yanked out from under him just in time.

Kevin flung himself sideways just as a loud _brraapp_ filled the air and a hail of bullets swept across the room... and he spun around and smacked face-first into the wall, clutching his right shoulder. "Ugh!"

"What's going on?" Cagalli shouted over the din.

Snake fought to separate himself from the pain, concentrating on the distinctive sensation he felt. "It's Carter," he hissed through gritted teeth. "He's here. And I'm hit."

"With what?" La Flaga demanded, just as a display exploded nearby, and fire cut off. "I thought you said-"

"The electromagnetic field was not designed to deal with depleted-uranium slugs," Kevin hissed. "That bastard is using a GAU8 Vulcan cannon out of an old A-10 attack aircraft. And however durable I may be, I'm not invincible. Even a Destroyer is not expected to be able to survive a direct hit from an antitank weapon, which is exactly what those depleted-uranium bullets are meant for." He gritted his teeth and yanked the enormous bullet out. _"Son of a-!_ Ouch! That would probably have killed a normal human being."

Things were ominously quiet, and Carter, if that was indeed the one Kevin felt, still had not said a word. The lull in the gunfire, however, at least gave them some time to regroup from the ambush. "Are you okay?" Cagalli asked worriedly.

"Could be worse." He grunted again, then sighed in relief. "Okay, the painkillers just kicked in. Bad news is, my nano-repair system is toast. No way to fix, either. That technology went the way of the dinosaur two and a half -no, just about three years ago now."

"So it _was_ you," another voice, identical to Kevin's said. "Well, that makes this all the better, Walker!"

"Carter!" Kevin risked a glance around the corner of the display he was hiding behind, and grimaced when he saw what appeared to be himself approaching, with the Vulcan cannon strapped to his back. "I wondered when we'd meet. Here to kill me?"

"What else, Walker? There's no room for two of us in this world, Hydra." Luckily, the clone seemed unable to localize the resonance; unlike the original, who had far more practice in terms of psychosomatic phenomena.

"For once, we're in agreement." Kevin was grateful then for his link to Kira; it had no connection to the resonance with his clone, which enabled him to communicate without being heard. With this happy fact in mind, he smashed his augmented fist through the side of the display case and reached in. A moment later, his hand emerged with an assault rifle. "Mu, catch!" he whispered, and tossed the weapon.

La Flaga caught it easily. "Antique," he muttered. "Grenade launcher?" he added, fingering the attachment under the barrel.

"M4 with M203," Snake acknowledged. "But forget grenades; I don't keep those here. The magazine's loaded, though."

"Obviously." The Hawk quickly examined the few controls on the weapon, familiarizing himself with it, and set the selector to three-round-burst mode. "Hope this works."

While Kevin dug around for another gun, the older pilot poked the M4 around the case's corner and ripped off a burst, causing Carter to duck for cover. It wasn't hard to figure out why; even a Destroyer couldn't _dodge_ bullets, and the clone didn't have the EM field or the quick-heal nanites.

"So you've got help, huh, Hydra?" Another stream of depleted-uranium went by. "It won't matter."

"Think so?" Cagalli popped out of cover for a moment and pulled the trigger of the esoteric weapon she'd snagged, and the Gyrojet's tiny rocket projectile flashed out and smacked the Vulcan's barrel, rendering it useless.

"Oh, man," Snake moaned. "It took me _years_ to get that gun working!" (_Kira,_) he said silently, (_you'd better stay out of this. I know you're hot stuff in a mobile suit, but you don't have the training for a close-in ground battle like this._)

(_I know,_) came the resigned response.

Satisfied, the super-soldier yanked another automatic weapon from the case, this time a .50 caliber M60E3 machine gun. Then, after exchanging glances with La Flaga, the pair of trained soldiers rolled from cover, firing as they advanced, and had the satisfaction of hearing a pained sound from Carter before they reached cover again.

"You know, Snake," the older pilot said conversationally, checking his remaining ammo, "this reminds me why I always prefer to leave the ground war to you guys. You're a lot more likely to survive a glancing blow to a mobile armor than to your own fragile body."

"Not all bodies are created equal," Kevin retorted. "Unfortunately, we're dealing with someone who's almost _my_ equal -in fact, with nano-repair down, he _is_- and worse yet, he knows my moves. That is, if he's got the RNA sample I think he does." He tossed aside the M60. "Having fun yet?"

There was another burst of gunfire, and a moment later Cagalli rolled into cover near them. "You know, this really isn't good for my uniform. What is this guy, psycho?"

"No, unfortunately." Snake grimaced. "He's perfectly sound of mind... he's just a sociopath. How's Kira?"

"Hanging back, behind the battleship armor display." She handed him an Israeli-made Uzi machine pistol. "Good thing you keep these things loaded, Kevin."

"Of course, that gives _him_ plenty of weaponry, too," La Flaga pointed out dryly. "Now what?"

Kevin looked around; Carter was being dangerously quiet again. He needed to end this quickly. Then he spotted something very interesting. "Cagalli, Mu, I need some covering fire."

"What for?"

He nodded at a multi-barreled weapon connected to an ammunition drum. "That's a minigun off an old Huey gunship, Vietnam War-era. If I can reach it..."

"I'll go," La Flaga countered, gathering himself to sprint.

Snake pulled him back. "No, Mu, you won't. I'm the only one who can even _lift_ the bloody thing, let alone handle the recoil. It weighs about a ton."

The Hawk nodded reluctantly. "Okay. On three?"

"On three. One... two... three!" Kevin burst from cover, racing for the huge weapon while his two friends fired on full automatic, keeping Carter's head down.

In a second, he was there, and with a grunt of effort, the super-soldier lifted the ammo tank and strapped it to his back, straining even _his_ powerful muscles, and grabbed the minigun's grips. "Okay, Carter," he called. "Ready for this?"

His clone chose that moment to bust from hiding, firing an AK47 he'd snatched from the wall. Kevin opened fire at the same instant, and the bullets raced across the room...

Carter was nearly ripped in half by the burst of minigun fire, ducking just in time, and his own stream of fire battered the minigun's ammo tank. Since some of the rounds were high-explosive, Kevin was blown across the room, slamming face-first into the wall... which also aggravated his shoulder wound. "Oh, _sh-"_

"How's that, Walker?" Carter stood in plain view, seeing the original sprawled on the floor with the remains of an ammo drum scattered about him. "First you betray ZAFT, then you betray the Earth Forces... Tell me, do you have _any_ loyalty?"

La Flaga rose to his feet, intending to cut down the cybernetically-augmented clone, then cursed as his gun jammed. "Antiques..." he muttered, frustrated.

"Now, how about we finish this?" Carter reached for a sword rack on the wall, retrieving an ornate rapier. "I think killing you with this would be _most_ fitting; I wonder why you have such skill with a weapon like this? Well, it doesn't matter, for that skill is _mine_, as well. So come on, Hydra. Let's settle this with a duel, to see which of us is better with a blade, shall we?"

Behind them, Cagalli winced; that was an amoral copy of Kevin Walker, all right. Even down to his sense of ironic justice. But she thought she might be able to throw off the calculations a little. "Kira," she whispered harshly. "What kind of swords has Kevin learned about since three years ago?"

Kira thought quickly. "Didn't he say something about... kendo?"

"Right." Cagalli snatched a sword off another rack. "Kevin, catch!"

In an instant, Kevin leapt to his feet, dropping the possum act, and caught the weapon by the scabbard. As his right hand gripped the hilt and drew the long, curved katana from its sheath, the clone showed his first signs of uncertainty. "Uh-"

"So, Carter," the Snake said, settling into his stance, "what do you know about _this_ style?"

"I don't need to answer that, do I? You've learned, Walker." Recovering his look of calculated arrogance, Carter stepped into blade range, assuming a stance that La Flaga recognized from long-ago matches of the Fencing Prince. "But have you learned enough?"

Kevin's answer was simple. "Let's dance."

His friends were now mere spectators; this duel between Walkers was out of their hands now, and Kira could sense that this was something Kevin had to do himself. (_Good luck._)

(_I don't need luck,_) his friend replied sardonically. (_I am Death._)

The intricacies of the fight were lost on all but the participants; it is hard enough to follow the moves when both fighters are using the same style. When they are each using a _different_ sort...

Carter swept his light rapier in an intricate pattern, without wasted motion; Kevin moved with similar economy, but with a harder style and an emphasis on blocking instead of parrying. Blade gripped in both hands, he quickly raised it to block a thrust, then swept it lower, trying to deprive his clone of his legs.

Neither spoke, but both brows were furrowed, and they seemed to be battling as much with their minds as their blades. But they were soon out of sight, ducking through a side door that promptly shut behind them.

"That doesn't look good," La Flaga commented. "How do you fight somebody that knows your every move?"

"I think the Tiger has more to worry about than Kevin," Kira said, straightening. "After all, he was created before Kevin studied kendo, so in a fair fight..."

"Just one problem," Cagalli said nervously.

"What's that?" the Hawk asked, puzzled.

"You know what Kevin always says: the one who fights fair is the one who dies."

_And if _you're_ the one who dies, Kevin, I'll never forgive you... but I _will_ avenge you..._

* * *

Indeed, the words were somewhat prophetic, for Carter was wearying of the semi-stalemate behind the closed door. "We're wasting time, Walker," he said tiredly. "Hurry up and die already!" 

"You first." With a final, decisive overhand attack, Kevin's katana sliced clean through the rapier, leaving but a stump in the clone's hand. "Since you're here, I guess you learned the truth about the Project's end. Well, here's _your_ end, too."

"You think I've lost? Think again!" Before Kevin could react, Carter whipped out a strange-looking gun and fired full-auto, straight into the original's body.

"Urgh!" Stunned and bleeding, Kevin fell back, thudding into the floor. "Wh-what...?"

"That EM field you're sporting doesn't do anything at all against plastic bullets, now does it?" Carter laughed. "Goodbye, Walker. Now _I'm_ the 'real' Hydra. So I think it's time to go take care of your friends, too. Especially that girl..." With a final contemptuous sound, he walked out through the door.

On the carpet, his life draining out, Kevin raged inwardly. _No! I can't... I can't let him... I can't let Cagalli down! But here I lie, the Most Dangerous Man In History, taken down because I didn't think of _plastic_ bullets! Ugh, I've failed..._

Unleash the beast within...

His eyes slowly opened. _No,_ he told himself. _I can't do that. Not after the last time... I won't!_

_There is no choice. Do you _want_ her to die? Do you? Unleash... the beast... within..._

I guess it's the only option.

The bleeding body that lay on the expensive carpet began to change, as the red-and-black-striped fur, long fangs, and sharp claws began to grow...

* * *

The side door opened, and Kira, Cagalli, and La Flaga tensed, the older pilot going so far as to raise the huge autopistol he'd picked up; he wasn't sure that he could even fire the beast, but he didn't trust light weapons against Carter. 

As the figure walked out into the light, Cagalli nervously spoke. "Kevin...?"

"Sorry, girl," Carter said with a chuckle, "wrong guy. Your boyfriend's leaking carcass is-"

Two things happened at once: La Flaga pulled the trigger, causing a tremendous amount of noise, a gigantic muzzle flash, and recoil sufficient to blow the gun clear across the room... and the bullet missed as a red-and-black-striped furry ball of teeth and claws slammed into Carter from behind, knocking him off his feet and several meters through the air.

"What the-" The Hawk ducked to the side, startled by the fearsome blur.

"Uh, you might want to back off for a minute," Kira said nervously as the man-tiger got to his feet. "He's not gonna care who's friend or foe for a bit."

"You," the zoanthrope snarled, "have _so_ got to die!" He seemed at least able to speak... but the mind in control of the body was very unstable, as Kira and Cagalli, at least, knew quite well. So when Carter climbed to his feet, looking as if he'd just been hit by a truck, they knew to stay _well_ clear.

"So," the clone managed, wiping blood from his lip, "you _are_ still capable of that. I wondered. So what now, Walker? A final duel, before I blast you to shreds?"

The reply was not by any means verbal, unless one counted the ferocious snarl, more cat than man, as the bipedal tiger launched into a perfectly-controlled series of attacks. _Power Palm Press,_ Kira thought, identifying the moves as they occurred. He winced as the original Crimson Tiger shoved his clone to the ground and smacked him in the face, claws extended, leaving nasty scratches. _Merciless Slash; Grasp Sun and Moon; Tsuten Juuji Ha; Juuji Rakan._

Kira knew them all, having seen, in years past, those moves practiced time after time, relentlessly drilled by a young man bent on perfection. The only martial art that he had ever actually seen Kevin use, besides that day on Artemis, Kira had watched his friend pummel a bully into paste in Copernicus using those blows; the extreme damage had prevented said bully from recalling exactly what had happened, but following that no one had tried anything on the young student.

The reasons for that became very clear to Mu La Flaga, since it seemed very evident this out-of-control shape-shifter had no intention of leaving Carter alive.

The clone reeled from the impacts, finally staggering over to a wall for support... exactly as Kevin intended. At that instant, there suddenly seemed to be two of him: the normal-looking human teenager, and the beast-like zoanthrope, the furry form projected out from his body, fist clenched in a powerful blow as the spectral form smashed into Carter's already battered body.

The clone fell to the floor, and Cagalli gradually straightened. "The Ferocious Tiger Laceration," she whispered, remembering her friend's tales, years earlier, of the zoanthropes' ultimate attacks, moves that drew on the body's every resource to produce a crushing blow. Not many could have survived it.

Carter did, though; his enhancement was not as complete as the original's, but it sufficed to keep him alive. So Kevin, once more entirely tiger, lifted him off the floor and tossed him through a window.

His friends looked tense even after that, of course. With the obvious target gone, the man-tiger might decide to turn on _them._

It was, of course, Cagalli who braved the danger (Kira could not get through to him, even via their link), and she carefully walked up to the deep-breathing, badly-bleeding zoanthrope. "Kevin?"

The cat-like eyes focused on her, and sanity gradually returned to them. "Cagalli," Kevin whispered, voice still the tiger-growl, but now recognizable. "I'm glad... you're safe..."

The fur faded, the teeth shrank, and the claws disappeared; and the former Crimson Tiger collapsed to the floor, life still leaking out.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Kevin lay in a hospital bed, connected to various pieces of life-support equipment. The three people who had been with him at the time of his grievous injury, stood near the bed, with the _Archangel_'s doctor; he'd been called in due to his familiarity with the patient. "So how is he, Doc?" La Flaga asked. 

"For someone who's taken numerous plastic bullets in various vital areas and a depleted-uranium antitank round in his shoulder, he's doing remarkably well," the doctor answered. "Though if you'd taken even five minutes longer, I doubt he'd have survived, even with his impressive resiliency."

"So how _is_ his shoulder?" Cagalli asked. "It looks pretty bad."

"Oh, it is, there's no doubt of that." He shrugged. "In fact, I'm afraid we'll have to amputate the arm completely; a tricky task, given the battle armor. Oh, don't worry," he added, seeing her worried look. "You of all people should know that Orb makes excellent prosthetics. That will bring him up to somewhere around thirty percent mechanical, but other than that..."

"And the other injuries?" Kira interjected. "Even with his augmentation..."

"His body should recover fully," the doctor assured him. "To be sure, this is the first time I've examined a zoanthrope, let alone one who happens to be a Coordinator with cybernetics, but those very peculiarities mean he'll heal faster than even a normal Coordinator. But the augmentation, now..." He sighed. "Obviously, I don't know much about it. But I _can_ tell you that his nano-repair functions are completely gone, along with a few tertiary systems, and that electromagnetic field seems to have acquired a glitch. And since the knowledge of how to repair this kind of technology was lost three years ago, I'm afraid he'll be just a little less durable now." The doc smiled. "But, other than that and his arm, he'll be fine within, oh, a week or so. Zoanthropes have very impressive regenerative abilities."

"Glad to hear that," La Flaga said. "We can't afford to lose him as a pilot. So, when do you get started on the arm?"

"As soon as you people are out of the room," the doctor said, somewhat impatiently. "I'll have to wear full protective gear, myself; this surgery is potentially more dangerous to me that to him. Now that I finally have access to his medical records, it seems he may be a carrier of some very interesting diseases, including, I'm told, a case of Ebola, resulting from a trip to Africa years ago." He turned back to his patient. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

* * *

Two days later, Kevin's eyes slowly opened, as his augmentation gradually removed the anesthetic from his bloodstream. 

He just lay there for a moment, cataloguing the input from his senses, natural and electronic, and determining how much of his body still obeyed him. Most of the news seemed good, but Kevin realized quickly that there was something odd about his right arm. His implanted computers, for one thing, seemed much more in control of it than they ought, and his eyes moved toward the appendage.

His startled reaction as he saw the bare metal limb drew Cagalli's eye; she had been at his side virtually the entire time since the surgery had finished. "Hey, Kevin. You're awake."

"Yeah," he croaked; he made a slight adjustment to his augmentation, and when he spoke again, his voice was closer to normal. "How long... was I out?"

"About forty-eight hours," Kira put in from the other side of the hospital bed. "The doc used the anesthetic in your augmentation to keep you out during the surgery."

"That makes sense..." Kevin slowly shook his head, trying to clear it. "How am I doing?"

"The arm, as you've noticed, was a write-off," Cagalli said with a grimace. "But Erica Simmons put together that prosthetic in record time, so you'll still be as deadly as always; maybe more so. She tells me that it'll grow synthetic skin before long, too. As to the rest, well... Your nano-repair's gone, like you thought, and you've got a few other glitches in the system, but the doctor says you'll be fine."

He nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'm sure I will. Solkin syn," he added. "That brings me up to around, what, a full _third_ of my body replaced by mechanicals?" Kevin grimaced. "Guess it's my own bloody fault; if I hadn't aggravated the wound, maybe it could have been saved. Of course, a 30 millimeter depleted-uranium slug isn't good for you, anyway."

The hospital room's door opened while he was speaking, and Kisaka stepped in, quickly saluting the two aristocrats. "We have news from Panama," he said without preamble. "ZAFT began its attack at dawn."

Kevin was suddenly very awake. "Panama? I'd've thought they wouldn't have the forces for that; not after Alaska."

The colonel shrugged. "Well, they probably would have lost a straight-up fight, especially after the Earth Forces deployed mobile suits of their own, some kind of mass-produced version of the Strike. But ZAFT used some kind of electromagnetic pulse weapon to knock out the Alliance's electronics."

"EMP," Snake breathed. _"Solkin syn."_ His friends knew exactly why he was frightened; he had EMP shielding in his augmentation, but it was three years out of date; whereas the Earth Forces doubtless would have had more modern shielding of their own. If the weapon was powerful enough to overcome that, then Kevin was in grave danger from it. It wouldn't kill him (his autonomic nervous system, while also augmented, did not include any electronics), but he _would_ be unable to move.

"Good thing Stormhawk has much stronger shielding, huh?" Kira commented. "But what kind of weapon could have done that? I mean, most EMP is generated by air-burst nuclear weapons, right? And since nobody can even _use_ nukes..."

Something clicked inside Kevin's head, and his implanted database uploaded a piece of data into his mind. "Gungnirs," he said after a moment. "According to the data ZAFT buried in my head, they've been kicking the idea around for years; I guess they finally got the bugs out." He looked up, head turning sharply to Kisaka as an unpleasant thought occurred to him. "What about Porta Panama? The mass driver?"

"It was destroyed, as well," the colonel answered. "A catastrophic short-circuit that ripped it apart."

Snake muttered something highly obscene; fortunately, he was the only one in the room fluent in Russian. "Which means, of course," he added in English, "that the Earth Alliance no longer has a mass driver, which means their only cost-effective way of getting large cargoes into orbit is gone. And that _also_ means that only one mass driver remains out of ZAFT hands."

Cagalli looked horrified. "Kaguya!"

He swore again, even more vilely. "Which means we can expect the Alliance to start making demands on Orb soon. And if we fail to give them what they want..." He flexed his bionic arm in frustration. "I need to be back on my feet as soon as possible. Things are gonna get real ugly, real soon."

None of them felt much like speaking after that.

* * *

Author's note: _Archangel_ has returned to Orb, and another version of Kevin Walker's past has been revealed… but is even this the truth? 

Now Kevin has finally met Jack Carter, and though he has lost a limb in the titanic clash, the clone has lost this round; how long before they meet again?

Those of you who have played Bloody Roar will recognize Kevin's zoanthrope moves as coming from Long the tiger's six-level combo ring; it seemed to me to be appropriate, under the circumstances.

RVD, it seems I am far more subtle than I actually intend to be. For some reason, it never occurred to me to think that anyone would believe Invictus to be the "evil" clone… though having reread earlier chapters, I see how somehow without prior knowledge would think that. Yet another case where I have a good plot twist entirely by accident.

Arachnid, I daresay ZAFT has enough powerful weapons -such as the Freedom's plasma cannons- without needing the buster rifles; and as for the Zero system, well… a system that drives most people insane wouldn't be much use to them, would it?

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, the Battle of Orb is drawing nigh; I think it will suit (or at least I hope it will; my battle scenes never quite satisfy _me_, but others seem to have no such problems).

Sigh. Blitz ½, I'd suggest you review Chapter 19, or, for that matter, Chapter 10; and I believe I once mentioned I just can't see the Athrun/Cagalli pairing. Draw your own conclusions from there.

NukeDawg, I'm glad you found it useful. I think this chapter may also be useful to you in that regard; but I would warn you not to take it all as gospel. You'll see what I mean.

Daniel Lynx, I don't anticipate needing a refresher; I have a save file with everything unlocked, and I have no intention of erasing it just to unlock everything all over again. Beating the game is fairly easy; unlocking certain machines like Justice is much harder. (I defeated Providence on the first try; Justice was a nightmare).

As you can see, you were quite correct about the meeting between original and copy not being pretty. This won't be the last confrontation between the two in this story, but I daresay it's the nastiest.

Shinji Ikari, while I suppose the idea of Invictus being cloned from Carnehan is remotely plausible (wrong, but plausible), I should point out that it's explicitly stated that there are no Destroyers remaining besides Kevin. Carter and Invictus are, of course, something else; and they _are_ the last, besides Kevin, to have augmentation, incomplete though it may be.

Now you know that the Destroyer confrontation _was_ between Kevin and Carter; at the moment, after all, Invictus isn't even on Earth, even if he were for some reason to come to blows with the original.

Believe me, there _is_ past history between Kevin and Azrael, besides the long-standing conflict between super-soldier and Blue Cosmos… he just doesn't know it right now. As for the biological CPUs, well, does Kevin see _anyone_ as a kindred spirit? And even if he did, it wouldn't matter much to him. Whoever or whatever the enemy is, is pretty irrelevant to him.

Don't worry, there _will_ be further explanation of Mir and Dearka's… argument… about Kevin; it's just one of those things that didn't seem to fit earlier, so there will be the appropriate flashback scene soon.

I should mention here, by the way, one of my main reasons for skipping most of the events at JOSHUA: if I _had_ included them, I'd have had to include the Board of Inquiry scene, and that particular one sends my blood pressure through the roof, which really isn't conducive to proper writing.

Now, about the change in Cagalli's line in Grieving Skies: the version I saw was on Cartoon Network, which _always_ changed lines like that; I wasn't at all surprised to learn that it's different on the DVD, after noticing other such alterations.

The background behind Kevin's involvement with the _Archangel_'s development isn't really important, though it is explained. However, the fact that he was behind the software in the first place has _major_ significance later on, when the story's biggest departure from the series finally occurs. When it gets to that point, you'll see what I mean. Without a doubt.

Hmm… I don't remember Lacus telling Kira she'd done what she'd told him she would, after reaching Mendel, but perhaps it's different on DVD. In any case, I would think Kevin wouldn't be very surprised by her actions, given how well he knows her.

Now, on the final point. Time for Solid Shark's Nuclear Physics 101:

A nuclear fission reactor and a nuclear fission bomb are _fundamentally_ different. With a nuclear bomb, you get the fission reaction by taking two pieces of fissionable material -uranium 235 or plutonium, usually- and violently bring them together at exactly the right moment, thus created one very large, uncontrolled nuclear reaction.

A reactor, on the other hand, has just the one "pile" of fissionable material, as opposed to two chunks of it. The reaction is controlled via rods of boron or graphite, and kept further kept from overheating by a water cooling system. If the cooling system fails, or the controls rods are removed, the reaction _will_ go out of control… but instead of an explosion, which requires that the material become supercritical, the result will be extreme heat, hence the term "meltdown".

So you see, a reactor doesn't have enough fissionable material to cause an explosion, no matter what; the reactor's function is fundamentally different from that of a bomb, so it is, of course, designed differently. A bomb is designed to release all the energy at once, but that method precludes a _controlled_ release, which is required for nuclear power.

Thus, the people behind Gundam SEED made a mistake: _it is physically impossible to make a nuclear fission reactor explode._

You'd better understand this, by the way: it made my brain hurt at first, trying to figure it out, so if you don't, I'll be annoyed.

I think that's everything; better be, anyway. So just read it, and let me know how it was. -Solid Shark


	26. Chapter 26: The Guns of Orb

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Jack Carter, and Invictus

* * *

As seemed to be a common habit of the young super-soldier, Kevin vastly exceeded expectations and was able to walk on his own within two hours of waking up. He was by no means in "fighting trim", but he was at least mobile; a good thing, that. 

Kevin, despite Cagalli's misgivings over his injuries, soon wandered back to the _Archangel_; still wearing bandages and with his right, bionic arm hanging limply at his side (the limb was powerful, enough so that he didn't want to risk smashing things until he was sure he had proper control over the replacement).

Before long, he found himself in the hanger, where two mobile suits stood motionless: his Stormhawk, and Kira's new Freedom. Mu La Flaga was already there, gazing up at the former ZAFT machine.

The older pilot turned at the sound of Kevin's footsteps. "Hey, Snake. Didn't expect to see you up and around so soon."

"The doc was a little pessimistic in his prognosis," he explained. "Of course, he'd never dealt with someone quite like me before. Nor will he again, unless I get smashed again."

"I see." La Flaga nodded at the metal arm. "So, how's that thing working out?"

Kevin sent a command to his augmentation, and the limb came to life. "Well, I've only consciously had it for about two hours, but so far, so good. I had to program in some overrides, though; it's far stronger than even my natural arm, so I don't want to go about breaking things before I get used to it. But, yeah, all in all it works well, and it'll be a nice surprise for the next guy who tries something on me. As if I needed any more."

"It affect your fast-draw any?" the other pilot asked with a grin; he'd seen the Snake's gunfighting skills in action, back at the Onishi Mansion.

The reply was the revolver that suddenly appeared in Snake's hand. "That move is ingrained enough I could do it by radio," he cracked. "Merely getting the limb replaced won't mean much."

La Flaga smirked as the super-solider rapidly twirled the weapon and returned it to its holster; then he turned, as Kira came up to them. "Even though you're alone, you still intend to fight?" he said without preamble.

Kira nodded. "I'll do my best; that's all I can really hope for." He met the Hawk's eyes levelly. "Things are difficult, but I don't think that _this_ is the way to make them better."

La Flaga's eyes widened; but before he could respond, another voice spoke, and all three pilots turned. "Kira!" Cagalli called, running up to them. "Erica Simmons wants to see you ASAP; she says she has something important to show you."

Kevin raised his eyebrows at that; the things his engineer friend Erica Simmons cooked up _did_ tend to be interesting.

* * *

Within minutes, Simmons was escorting them into the Morgenroete hanger they had become all too familiar with during the _Archangel_'s previous stay in Orb; along the way, they had been joined by Ramius. 

"Now that you're back," Erica said with a mysterious smile, "I thought I should probably return _this_ to you."

Kira gasped audibly, for before them stood the GAT-X105 Strike, the mobile suit he had previously flown... and believed to have been destroyed when Athrun self-destructed the Aegis. "The Strike!"

The engineer nodded. "After the repairs were done, I installed the new OS you wrote for us, because... well, because I figured someone else would be piloting it." Which made sense, since not even the_ Archangel_ had been aware of Kira's survival at the time.

"The OS designed for Naturals?" La Flaga asked.

"Yes."

"_I'll_ pilot it," Cagalli said decisively. When Kira, Ramius, and Kevin looked at her, she looked sheepish. "I mean, only if that's okay with _you_, that is."

"I'm afraid you can't," La Flaga said in an odd voice.

"Why not?"

He turned his head. "Because _I_ will."

Kira smiled, Cagalli looked surprised and annoyed, and Ramius simply looked shocked. "Commander?"

"That doesn't apply to me anymore, now, does it?" he replied with a smile. _"Ms. Murrue."_

Kevin grinned. "Can't think of a better choice. No offense, tovarisch," he added hastily to Cagalli. In the process, something caught his eye, and an eyebrow rose as he studied another, half-complete mobile suit occupying the hanger. Big, black, with bat-like wings folded in front of it, it looked very menacing. "Hey, Erica; what's that?"

Simmons smiled, taking on the look of someone pleased with her work. "That's our newest prototype, Baron: the MBF-M2000 Wraith. It's made out of the same radar-absorbent alloy as your M1000, and while it's relatively lightly armed, it makes up for it with a few interesting features." She pointed at what appeared to be a long staff clutched in its hand. "Its primary weapon is that beam scythe; when active, it's quite capable of slicing a mass-produced mobile suit in half. It also has the usual Igelstellungs in the head, a standard beam rifle, and an anti-beam shield. But it doesn't usually need it."

"Why's that?" Kira asked.

"Because we stole a certain amount of technology from the Defense Industries Association. See how it has color, even when powered down? It's equipped with Trans-Phase armor, a new development of PSA, which is even more durable." Erica pointed at the wings. "And those, while doubling as a propulsion system and aiding in its stealth capabilities -which I'll get to in a moment- are primarily for defense. It's called an active cloak, and it uses new energy-shielding technology to deflect energy weapons and greatly reduce the effectiveness of kinetic weapons." Her smile grew. "But it usually shouldn't even need those defensive measures, because it's also equipped with hyper jammers; a technology we're most grateful you came up with, Baron."

When all eyes turned to him, Kevin looked slightly sheepish. "Okay, so maybe I was a little off when I said I didn't inherit my father's engineering talents. I came up with them last time we were here, but we didn't stick around long enough for them to actually be built."

"So what are they?" La Flaga wanted to know.

"Think Mirage Colloid's good?" Simmons said, raising an eyebrow. "This is better. Hyper jammers produce a cloaking field that defeats cameras, infrared, and the naked eye, just as Mirage Colloid does. The advantage this has is that it doesn't have the eighty-minute time limit, nor do you have to choose between it and phase-shift."

Kevin muttered something incredulous in Russian. "So why is it incomplete? It looks like you've got it nearly finished."

Erica's smile faded. "We ran into a snag," she admitted. "Those great new technologies require an _enormous_ amount of power, and existing energy batteries would run out far too quickly, if they could handle the load at all. We were working on a way of nullifying the effect of N-jammers, but we haven't had much success."

Snake came to an instant decision. "After being captured, the Stormhawk was retrofitted by ZAFT; and one of the additions was an N-jammer canceler. You can use the specs from that."

"Impressive," she said after a moment. "Thank you, Baron, we'll be sure to do that. And there's a couple of modifications I've thought of for the Stormhawk, too."

"I'll have Murdoch send it over. But try to be quick about it, if you would." Kevin stroked his chin. "I've... got an errand I'd like to take care of, and I'll need Stormhawk to get there."

* * *

With the demands now being made upon Orb by the Atlantic Federation and the Earth Alliance (specifically, to get rid of their current government and completely disarm their military), Murrue Ramius and the rest of the _Archangel_'s crew knew it was only a matter of time before some difficult decisions would have to be made. 

So the Captain called the entire crew together in the hanger, and with La Flaga, Cagalli, and Kisaka flanking her, she began without preamble. "An Earth Alliance fleet is on its way here, to Orb," she said. "The government is being told that unless it accedes to the Earth Forces' demands within forty-eight hours, the Alliance will have no choice but to consider them an enemy nation, and a supporter of ZAFT."

"But that's ridiculous!" Tonomura protested.

Ramius nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is. And I assure you, every effort is being made to find a diplomatic solution. Unfortunately, judging from the Earth Alliance's reaction so far, the chances of avoiding a battle are rather slim. If that is the case, the battle will begin at 0900 hours the day after tomorrow."

In the front row, next to Kira, Kevin nodded to himself. (_Hardly a surprise, eh, tovarisch?_)

Kira nodded in weary agreement. (_Yeah._)

"Each of us has a personal decision to make, as well," the Captain went on. "That is, whether to stay and fight to protect Orb, or not. At this moment, the _Archangel_ is a runaway ship; there's no one to give us our orders or tell us what we're to do about the Orb situation. And technically, you are no longer under my jurisdiction. Personally, I intend to remain here, but you must all choose your own paths, as well."

Some had already chosen, of course. In addition to Orb being his homeland, however little loyalty he had to its actual government, Kevin was... very fond of the daughter of the former Chief Representative. He would never abandon Cagalli Yula Athha. And Kira, of course, had gotten some wild save-the-world altruistic streak since being blown out of the Strike months before. The Snake had no such motivations (or at least he claimed never to have them), but he really couldn't care less. Kira was one of his best friends, and his Freedom would no doubt come in handy in the coming battles.

Ramius departed from her prepared speech then. "I know I wasn't the most reliable of captains," she told the assembled crew, eyes shining, "and I want to thank each one of you for sticking with me. It was a privilege to have led you," she finished with a bow.

* * *

After the announcement, Kira headed off down one of the _Archangel_'s side passages, a habit he'd picked up when he was still moody and ambiguous about flying the Strike against his fellow Coordinators. Now it was just that, a habit, for he was quite committed to helping his ship and Orb. 

"Kira!" He turned to see Cagalli running to catch up with him, coming to halt a half-meter away. "Kira," she said in a slightly calmer voice, "it's... it's all so..."

"Just take a deep breath and relax," Kira advised her with a smile. "If people see you getting flustered in that outfit, it's gonna make them nervous."

Anyone else, she would probably have snapped at for a comment like that, but from him Cagalli took it seriously; she checked her uniform as if she had forgotten she was wearing one. "You think so? I guess you're right. But this is terrible! Orb is going to become a battlefield! How could this happen?" She began running her hands through her hair in agitation.

"I think the right choice is being made," Kira said reassuringly. When she looked up, he continued, "Although I think this path is the hardest Orb could have chosen."

"Kira..."

"Calm down and don't worry, Cagalli. I don't know how well I can protect it, but I'll do what I can; just like your father and a lot of other people are gonna do _their_ best to protect this country." He smiled again. "It's worth fighting for."

"Kira!" Cagalli flung her arms around Kira's neck, hugging him tight.

He looked startled for a moment. "Uh, well, just hang in there, okay?" he managed, returning the embrace.

"It'll be fine," another voice said, and Cagalli pulled back to see Kevin approaching. "I mean, look, Orb's got plenty of Astrays, there's my Stormhawk, the Freedom, the Strike, and, if we find a pilot for it somehow, the Buster. Personally, I just don't see the Earth Forces matching that, at least not with just those mass-produced models."

"There might be something else, though," Cagalli said nervously. "Frank says there's rumors of some new Earth Forces machines, with some pretty skilled pilots. They might..."

Kevin smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "If they're tougher than I am, I'll be much surprised."

Kira grinned to himself as the girl threw herself at Snake this time. "Yeah," he murmured, "and if things get really bad, we'll just give you a pocket knife and throw _you_ at them."

Cagalli managed a chuckle (muffled slightly by Kevin's shoulder). "Come on, you haven't even met them and you hate them _that_ much?"

* * *

A little later, Kevin stepped out of a side passage to see Kuzzey going past in civilian clothing, carrying a suitcase. "So, you're leaving, huh?" he said softly. 

Kuzzey nodded. "Yeah. I know you'll probably think I'm a coward or something, but..."

Snake shook his head. "No, I don't think you're a coward. To be sure, I found your... complaints about being aboard somewhat annoying, since I always thought you must have known what you were getting into when you volunteered in orbit, but there's no way you could have anticipated something like Alaska. Besides," he added with a shrug, "some of us just aren't cut out for this kind of thing; sometimes I wish _I_ wasn't."

"I guess I don't need to ask if you're staying, huh?" his classmate said, managing a smile.

"No, you don't. You know how it is with me: I was literally _designed_ to be a soldier, from before I was even born. That, by the way, is why I hate my father's guts," Kevin added, somewhat grimly. "But we all have our parts to play. For example, I'd never make it as a concert pianist, and the concert pianist never made it as a soldier." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Solkin syn, if Nicol had only realized he wasn't cut out for this, if he'd just stuck with what he was good at."

"Who's Nicol?" Kuzzey asked, confused.

"Nicol Amalfi," Snake clarified. "Pilot of the Blitz. He was a friend of mine, once upon a time. He joined ZAFT to protect his homeland... and because of it, he was blown to atoms by my hand." He held out a hand. "Just as well that you're getting out, Kuzzey. Your talents lie in a more peaceful area; leave the fighting to us, and _live._"

The young student, who until recently had never even seen the homeland that controlled the colony where he had been born, shook the hand. "Good luck, Snake."

"Same to you, mon ami."

* * *

The next morning, as Kevin suited up in preparation for his mysterious "errand", there were two other functional mobile suits sharing the Morgenroete hanger: the Freedom and the Strike. Kira and La Flaga were preparing for another sparring match, to make certain La Flaga was ready for the coming battle. 

The Hawk meandered over to the Stormhawk, helmet under his arm, just as Snake was fastening his flight suit. "I suppose it would be pointless to ask you where you're going."

"Yeah, pretty much," Kevin agreed, fastening his gunbelt over the suit. "Sorry, tovarisch, but this is something I'd rather not discuss just now."

"I understand." La Flaga clapped the younger pilot on the shoulder. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks."

As the older pilot headed back to his own machine, Cagalli walked up. "So, where _are_ you going?" she asked quietly.

"To see a friend," Kevin answered simply. "The one who got my head straightened out. And I want to take a look at the place where Aegis met its end."

She nodded. The fact that he didn't elaborate didn't bother her; she knew that there were times, especially since going through the horrifying procedures at ABADDON, when he simply had to go off somewhere, away from even his closest friends. Cagalli suspected that, even now that he no longer had a death wish, Kevin still had to struggle sometimes with his past, and with whatever conditioning he'd been through.

And this "friend", from what he'd said, could possibly help him do that. "Okay."

"Thanks for understanding." He put a hand on her shoulder. "That means a lot, you know."

"Of course I understand, idiot," Cagalli said with a tolerant smile. "I _have_ known you all your life, remember? So, when do you think you'll be back?"

"No more than a few hours," Kevin replied. "It's a short flight, and I don't want to be gone too long, anyway. I have a very bad feeling about tomorrow; Fate is taking a hand once again."

That was one peculiarity than not even his oldest friend quite understood. Snake was not normally superstitious, though he had his quietly-held beliefs, and he scoffed at things like astrology. Yet he still believed in Fate... and perhaps, when one thought of how many times he'd escaped certain death, or even returned from the grave, it made sense. Surely there had to be _some_ reason he kept coming back.

"Be careful, okay? Last time you went there, you nearly got your brain fried." She stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "I'll be waiting."

Kevin half-smiled. "I know. See you tonight, tovarisch." Without further ado, he climbed up into the silent mobile suit's cockpit.

* * *

The concealed hatch leading to the hidden Morgenroete facility slid open, and the Stormhawk stepped out. As the door closed behind, the machine lifted into the air, converted to mobile armor mode, and flickered out of sight as the newly-installed hyper jammers kicked in. 

In the cockpit, Kevin manipulated the controls with practiced ease, coaxing the mobile-suit-cum-fighter-plane into a climb and a leisurely turn to the northeast, following the route _Archangel_ had taken upon leaving Orb, nearly two months earlier.

_So much has happened since then, _he thought, relaxing in the seat as he settled in for the flight._ Some have died, some have been saved... and through it all, I live on. What does Fate have in store for me? Is my destiny to live or die, in this useless war? For what purpose does my life go on?_

Kevin chuckled at himself, thinking of Cagalli's reaction to hearing such words. He could hear it now... _"Stop worrying so much about the philosophical, you idiot, and worry about getting out of this war with your armored hide intact!"_

"Yeah, that's just what she'd say, isn't it, Sturm Falke?" He spoke to the machine, for he had nothing else to speak to. (He was, however, somewhat cautious about it; on overhearing him muttering to the console in Russian on one occasion, Erica Simmons had threatened to give the machine the intelligence to talk back. He wasn't sure if she could actually build a sentient AI... but he wasn't taking chances.)

_And that's one thing this thing is missing: a passenger seat. I don't like being away from her like this. 'Course, the whole point of this exercise is to get away from _everyone_ isn't it?_

Through all his tangled thoughts, Kevin's machine faithfully followed the instructions given to its autopilot, cruising over the slightly meandering path the "legged ship" had taken on its way to the spot where the Aegis had been destroyed. And in the process, it overflew a tiny island that still held black armor debris.

Kevin felt a touch of sadness, gazing down at that lonely spot where the remains of the GAT-X207 Blitz still lay, exactly as they had lain since the day Stormhawk's enormous beam cannon blew it apart. _I'm sorry, Nicol Amalfi,_ he thought sadly. He did not grieve -he had no more tears to shed- but he did regret the tragedy. _You shouldn't have been here, mon ami. You were a pianist, not a warrior... though I am yet in your debt for Artemis. Had you not struck, escaping might have been a far more difficult proposition... though in any case I would have ensured that Garcia died first, that bastard._

Soon, the little island was out of sight, forgotten by all but those who had seen the great, tragic battle there.

* * *

Athrun Zala was on a similar jaunt at that time, his Justice riding its Fatum-00 subflight unit. He hovered now over the island where his last machine had met its end, and he saw that no one had bothered to recover the remains. The scattered pieces of Aegis still remained... as did something else. 

He wasn't sure what had gotten his attention, but Athrun felt instinct itching, telling him to land near the scattered wreckage. And so he did, setting down near the battered head and powering down.

Somehow, he was not surprised by the sight that greeted him: not far away, Kevin Walker, wearing his usual black flight suit, leaned against nothing, hands cushioning his head, and an odd smile on his face. "Hello, Athrun," he said, almost cheerfully. "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you soon. It's been awhile since we met face-to-face."

"Yeah, it has," Athrun acknowledged. "As I remember it, you were threatening to break me in half at the time." He looked curiously at his former friend's gravity-defying posture. "And have you decided to become a mime or something?"

Snake blinked, then chuckled. "Oh, yeah. I forgot." He tapped a control on what looked like a wristwatch but was obviously not, and the thing he'd been leaning against suddenly became visible: the right foot of the Stormhawk, which now towered above them both. "I apparently forgot to deactivate the hyper jammers. So, mon ami, are you surprised to see me?"

"Actually, no," Athrun admitted. "I've already run into two of you since we last fought."

Kevin grimaced. "So you met Carter, huh? So have I. And if you've met two, I guess the twenty-third clone has been accounted for."

"Second," the ZAFT pilot corrected. "Carter was the first, and this guy was the second; one which ZAFT at large is unaware of. Carter I ran into at Carpentaria, by the way; how'd you meet him?"

"He turned up at my mansion the other day." Snake winced, flexing his right arm, and pulled off the glove, revealing the metal hand beneath. "Took a depleted-uranium slug to the shoulder, had to have the arm replaced. Not fun."

"I guess not." Athrun's eyes narrowed. "You know, shouldn't you be trying to kill me or something? I remember you swore to, and you don't break your oaths."

"Oh, right." Kevin reached down and lifted a pair of sheathed fencing blades from the ground, one of which he clipped to his belt; the other he tossed to Athrun. "As it happens, I'm not terribly inclined to slay you anymore, Athrun; it's now clear to me that you had no knowledge whatsoever of ABADDON, so your betrayal was quite unknowing. The problem is, like you said, I don't break oaths. So, since I half-expected to run into you out here, I brought these along. The blade you're holding is the twin to the one Carter tried to assassinate me with a few days ago; mine is the sword I used professionally. Both are of top quality, centuries old."

Athrun drew the slender sword and stared at it. "You're telling me the only way for you honorably discharge your oath without killing me is to fight a duel? Seems to me that I'll be just as dead when you finish with me with these."

"Not under the rules of a live-blade fencing match," Kevin disagreed. "First blood is sufficient; though if I catch you _trying_ to lose, I'll simply run you through. And don't worry about my arm; this isn't about brute strength, and I've stepped it down to merely Coordinator strength."

"I guess there's no alternative, is there?" Athrun knew perfectly well he had no chance at all of killing his old friend, not after the enhancements he'd been put through. And even without trying, there was no possible way he'd win this match; "The Fencing Prince" had climbed from relative obscurity to the top of the world's fencing ranks at a very young age, and with the very sword he held this day. It would be no contest... which at least had the advantage of being fast.

"Not really." The super-soldier settled into his distinctive stance, presenting a narrow profile with his blade stretched at arm's length, granting him formidable reach.

Athrun moved awkwardly into a stance of his own; since learning his old friend's true identity, he'd watched recordings of the Fencing Prince's matches, but he could only imitate. "What is it they say...?"

_"En garde,"_ Kevin supplied, and quickly sidestepped his opponent's first, clumsy slash. "It's all about the thrust and parry, mon ami," he advised, making a conservative jab of his own. "It's not like the popularized broadsword, or the katana. In a real battle to the death, you either aim for the heart or throat, or, failing that, inflict enough small wounds to bleed your adversary to death."

"I'll keep that in mind." Athrun, while still uncertain of the moves, at least had no trouble with his footwork, which allowed him to dodge the next thrust. He knew, of course, that he was but delaying the inevitable, and only for a few seconds at that.

He was quite correct; the Fencing Prince had had a reputation for cutting right to the heart of matters, and Kevin had no intention of letting this go on any longer than necessary. With this in mind, he parried Athrun's counterattack, pushed the blade aside, and flicked his wrist. The swift movement drew the rapier's point across the Athrun's face, opening a shallow cut, and the blade instantly swept around to his throat, pressing very lightly against the jugular.

"Yield," Kevin said simply.

Athrun set his sword point-first in the ground. "Gladly."

The blade pulled away, and Snake sheathed it. "Honor is satisfied. I must warn you, though, that if we meet again in battle, I'll still kill you if necessary, but now I at least have the option of merely disabling you. Though," he added, eyes turning for a moment to jade ice, "if Cagalli is involved all bets are off. Those who threaten _her_, I do not hesitate to eliminate."

The ZAFT pilot swallowed. "I understand."

The eyes warmed. "Well. That's that. Keep the sword, by the way; a memento, if you will." Kevin held out a hand. "It's good to see you, Athrun."

Athrun cautiously shook it. "Likewise, but... You should know that part of my mission on Earth is to eliminate you, and your machine."

Snake snorted. "You're welcome to try." With a blindingly fast movement, he drew his Colt and fired over Athrun's shoulder, missing by a millimeter.

He smiled. "Yeah, I kinda figured that. I can always tell my father I didn't have the opportunity. It's true, after all." Athrun glanced away. "But my orders are also to kill Kira, the Freedom, and anyone he's come into contact with."

Kevin laughed outright. "Well, tell your father this: your Justice, powerful though it may be, has no chance at all of single-handedly wiping out me, the Freedom, the _Archangel_, and Orb. We'd blast you to cinders."

"Figured that, too." Athrun glanced around the little island, at the pieces of debris. "So what brings you out here, Kevin? I'd've thought you'd be back in Orb still, getting some rest."

"There's someone here I wanted to visit." Movement drew Kevin's eye, and they both turned to see several young children cautiously watching them from behind the Aegis' severed right hand. "And I think those are some of his charges."

Indeed, soon a pale man with a walking stick, apparently blind, came into view. "What's the matter?"

"Hello, Reverend," Snake said, bowing respectfully; beside him, a startled Athrun did the same. "I thought I would pay you a visit, since I have the time."

"A pleasure to see you again, Baron." Reverend Malchio tilted his head. "And who might your companion be?"

"Reverend, this is Athrun Zala, ZAFT pilot and -at least formerly- Lacus' fiancé," Kevin replied. "Athrun, this is Reverend Malchio, friend of the Clyne family and the man who straightened my head out."

"An honor to meet you, sir," Athrun said formally.

Malchio waved a hand. "Please, come with me. My home, while somewhat isolated, does have access to the news, and it seems there are events of which you both should be aware."

A tight feeling in his stomach, Kevin nodded. "All right."

* * *

"It is inevitable now," Malchio said a few minutes later; the television was playing a news report, from a correspondent on one of the Earth Forces' carriers. "Orb is going to fight the Earth Alliance." 

"As the countdown to the attack on Orb continues," the reporter was saying, "the troops are willing, even eager for the coming battle. We're now being told that there is proof that Orb assisted ZAFT in the attacks on Panama and the Alaskan Headquarters."

"'Proof'," Kevin said bitterly. "They're not even waiting for Orb's reply before stating that they have _proof_ of those ridiculous allegations. Solkin syn, they're bastards."

"But why Orb and the Earth Forces?" Athrun mused, then looked down as one of the orphans ran up to him.

"I hate ZAFT, and when I get bigger I'm gonna come and get all of you!" The kid, less than half Athrun's size, kicked him in the shin and ran off.

"_Hey_," Malchio said sharply. "My apologies," he said to Athrun. "He lost his parents during the occupation of Carpentaria."

"Occupation?" Snake said sharply. "But Oceania was with ZAFT from the beginning, right?"

"What decision is ever truly unanimous?" the monk said sagely. "If there was but another way. Wars spread so easily, but are so difficult to end," he whispered.

"That's the truth, Reverend." Kevin picked up his helmet and headed for the door.

Athrun followed him. "Where are you going?"

"Home." He broke into a run, heading back to his mobile suit. "If the fleet is that close, then Frank's predictions were right: the attack comes tomorrow."

"Who's Frank?"

"My cousin Frank Castile; he's Orb's top intelligence analyst." Kevin stopped at Stormhawk's foot. "A pity we're on opposite sides, Athrun. I think we've got the forces to defeat this attack, but I'm not certain."

"Yeah." Athrun nodded grimly, then smiled suddenly, expression turning sly as a thought occurred to him. "By the way, Kevin, is it true what the books say? That you and the princess were -or are- an item?"

Had the blow been with Snake's bionic hand, the slap would probably have been fatal. As it was, it knocked Athrun to the ground. "Is everybody going to ask me that? Dearka, Frank, now you? Athrun, take my advice: don't ask me that again, or I'll blow your head off."

"Right..." the ZAFT pilot replied groggily, climbing back to his feet. "Hey, wait a minute; Dearka?"

Kevin shrugged. "They tell me he was captured in the same battle in which you nearly killed yourself, me, and Kira; the top brass in Alaska never got around to unloading him." He smiled. "Of course, now they think he's dead, and the _Archangel_, too. Which means they've got some nasty surprises coming: they thought the _Archangel_ and the Strike were gone, and they never knew about my Stormhawk or the Freedom. That'll give us a priceless advantage." He started to climb up into the cockpit, then paused, reached into a pocket, and tossed Athrun a disc. "Take this; it's got the frequency for my implant radio. If you ever need to call me, use that."

Before Athrun could reply, he was in the cockpit, and moments later the Sturm Falke took to the skies and vanished, leaving a confused pilot behind.

* * *

No one was aware that Kevin had even returned until he unexpectedly turned up near the brig an hour later. 

At that time, Mir was entering Dearka's cell. "Questioning, or transfer?" the POW asked warily.

"The ship is entering battle again," Mir told him. "An Earth Alliance fleet is on its way here. Apparently, you're free to go." She tossed his flight suit in his lap and left the cell.

Dearka followed her out. "Wait a minute! What did you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I told you," she responded, opening the brig hatch and walking out into the corridor. "The Earth Forces will be attacking soon, and there isn't a good reason to keep you onboard anymore. So _get off."_

"But I want to know why you people decided to fight against the Earth Forces."

"Because Orb refused to join forces with the Earth Alliance."

Dearka stopped in his tracks. "But that's just nuts. Are Naturals really that stupid?"

"Who cares what you think?" Mir said angrily. "Things are gonna get chaotic around here; I'm sorry, but you're on your own."

"Easy for _you_ to say," the pilot muttered. "Hey!" he said suddenly. "What about my Buster?"

"That was ours to begin with! Morgenroete has it now." She couldn't help, however, but to take a certain amount of pity on him. "I'm sorry things turned out... this way."

Dearka caught up with her and grabbed her arm. "Are... are you fighting, too?"

"I'd better be!" Mir replied hotly. "I'm in charge of the _Archangel_'s CIC. Besides," she added in a calmer voice, "Orb is my homeland."

"And mine, too," Kevin agreed, coalescing out of the shadows. "And I'm glad you're taking over CIC, by the way; I imagine I'll be needed in the air." He glanced past Mir. "Hey, Dearka. I see they're setting you loose."

"For whatever good it does me," the ZAFT -or former ZAFT- pilot agreed. "Haven't seen you around much lately, Walker. Busy rubbing elbows with the rich and famous?"

"Busy getting Orb ready for a major war," Snake countered. "And it's Snake, remember? I don't like formalities." He half-smiled. "In point of fact, by the way, most of Orb has no idea I'm even still alive. For the moment, I find it far more convenient to be dead. Besides, I really, really hate the royal treatment I'd get under my true identity."

"Though you wouldn't give up the access it gives you to the princess, right?" Dearka observed with a sly look.

It was all Kevin could do not to throttle the pilot. So instead, gritting his teeth, he reached out with his right arm and lifted Dearka by his collar. "Listen to me, egghead," he said in a harsh whisper, "this arm of mine has sufficient strength to toss you halfway to the Moon. If you persist in badgering me about that, you'll find out firsthand, capisch?"

Dearka swallowed as something suddenly occurred to him: he was no longer a prisoner, which meant Snake was now free to carry out the threat. "Okay, okay," he managed.

Kevin set him down and stepped back, carefully ignoring Mir's snickering. "Good," he said calmly, and turned away; a moment later, though, he turned back. "By the way, Dearka, take this." He handed him a small comm device. "That's preset to my implant radio frequency; if you need me, use it."

As Snake performed his trademark vanishing act, Mir glanced at Dearka, eyebrows raised. "I guess he _does_ like you," she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"He doesn't give that frequency to just anybody; only those he trusts." She looked back down the corridor, where the super-soldier had disappeared. "Weird..."

So it seemed to Mir, but Dearka found it even weirder to be having a civilized conversation with _her_. He remembered quite well the time she ripped into him over the super-soldier. It had been during one of his meals...

_"I can't be believe how you can even have the nerve to mention that name," Mir snapped, after he made a comment about Kevin Walker. "After everything your people did to him!"_

_Dearka frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about. I know he was a special ZAFT unit, but-"_

_"That's _exactly_ what you did to him!" she snapped. "ZAFT's super-soldier program; he's never forgiven them for it, and yet _you_ have the nerve-!"_

_"Wait a minute," he protested. "The Destroyers were an all-volunteer outfit-"_

_"Volunteers? Are you out of your mind? You think those scars came from _voluntary_ participation? Kevin was brainwashed an tortured by you people!"_

Dearka drew back away from the cell bars. "But- No, it couldn't..."

"It doesn't matter now, anyway," Mir said bitterly. "He died out there, too, in that last attack of yours."

He swallowed. "It... it wasn't me. I was already on the ground-"

"I know," she said, suddenly sounding weary. "But it doesn't change the fact that he's dead, and your people are responsible for everything that happened to him."

Mir left then, and Dearka was left to puzzle over her words. He'd have liked to dismiss them, but even he was starting to wonder about ZAFT's aims...

Dearka brought his mind back to the present. "Well, I guess I'd better be leaving."

Unexpectedly, Mir's expression was softer now. "Good luck, wherever you're going."

He snorted. "_You're_ the ones who need luck; you're going to be fighting the Earth Forces, after all." He turned to leave. "If you survive, maybe we'll meet again."

She nodded, with a small smile. "Maybe we will. Besides, Tolle might want to meet you sometime."

* * *

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Murrue Ramius leaned against the forward viewport, looking absently out at the activity below. _We've come so far,_ she mused. _To think, when all this started, I was just a lieutenant on a ship that hadn't even launched yet. Now I'm the _Captain,_ and the ship isn't even with the Earth Forces anymore; yet so many of the crew stayed, anyway._

"You know," Mu La Flaga said, coming up behind her, "the Captain really shouldn't look _that_ depressed. All told, only eleven crew left the ship; that's incredible. JOSHUA must have really riled them up."

Ramius nodded absently. "Commander," she said slowly, "there's something I want to know about JOSHUA. Why'd you return?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." La Flaga looked at the deck for a moment, then winked. "Your question just made me remember what I'd forgotten to do."

To her surprise, the Strike's pilot suddenly pulled her close and kissed her. She blinked, then relaxed into it; a few moments later, she pulled away. "You... ought to know I really can't stand mobile armor pilots," Ramius said, voice a little rough.

La Flaga smiled. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm a mobile _suit_ pilot now." He leaned forward again.

A moment later, the Bridge hatch opened, and Neumann entered, flanked by Chandra and Tonomura. "Excuse me, is anyone up h-" He broke off, and three jaws dropped in shock.

"Payback," observed Snake, who had appeared on the Bridge through unknown means. When Ramius and La Flaga both looked his way, he smiled. "Consider this your comeuppance for badgering me about Cagalli since the desert, Mu."

For his part, he was not in the least surprised. The Snake was a shrewd student of character, a necessity given his endless race against the Grim Reaper; he liked to think he could "read" any human being with just a glance. And in the case of the Captain and the Strike pilot, he'd had far more than a glance. This was something he'd seen coming months earlier.

"Where did you come from?" Ramius demanded.

The smile became a grin. "The eyes of the Snake are always upon you," he intoned. An instant later, he was gone again.

Ramius and La Flaga looked at each other. "I guess we shouldn't be so surprised," the pilot said, resigned. "He only turns up where people _don't_ expect him. I'd love to know how he does it, though."

"Well," the Captain replied with a smile of her own, "if you believe Mr. Murdoch's mechanics, he's a supernatural being. Personally, I wouldn't be too surprised."

* * *

The time had finally come. On the fifteenth of June, C.E. 71, the Orb Union's position of neutrality was shattered by the Earth Alliance's attack. What made matters worse for them any other nation, of course, was the fact that they weren't allied with the _PLANTs,_ either. Orb stood alone. 

Yet, for all their small size and lack of allies, the Orb military had quite possibly more firepower than both sides combined. In addition to their conventional forces, they had a number of their mass-produced M1 Astrays, which would soon prove to be more than a match for the mass-produced weapons of either side; and they had the Freedom, the Stormhawk, the M2000 Wraith (which might or might not be ready in time), and two weapons the Earth Forces believed to be destroyed: the _Archangel_ and the X105 Strike Gundam. All in all, it was a formidable fighting force.

On his way back to the _Archangel_, at 0800 hours, Kevin stopped by the Morgenroete Operations Room, from which the battle would be directed. He had a particular reason for being there: despite her young age, his good friend Cagalli would be in overall command of the battle.

Snake stepped in and saluted. "Morning, Marshall."

"Morning, Kevin, and- What did you just call me?" she demanded.

He raised his eyebrows. "Well, you _are_ in charge of the entire Orb military right now, and that sort of post usually goes to someone higher than a mere General. Since the only rank higher than full general is Field Marshall..."

"You and your historical trivia," Cagalli sighed, shaking her head. "And don't call me that, or I'll have you hung."

"'By the neck until dead'?" Kevin chuckled. "I think Orb uses a firing squad these days, but I guess you've got the authority to have me executed just about any way you please."

"Only if I wanted to have a vengeful ghost coming after me," she rejoined with a smile. "I don't trust you to stay dead, and I suspect you'd haunt me for the rest of my life if you did."

"So how's the tactical situation?" he asked more seriously.

"It could be better," Cagalli admitted. "But it's better than the strategic front. Everyone else in the world has joined forces with one side or the other."

"Not our problem right now. Earth's pretty hard-pressed right now: after Panama, this is pretty much the only major force they have _left._ If we can smash this fleet, it'll put a major crimp in their designs on Kaguya." Kevin gripped her shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, tovarisch, remember that we've got the best military technology in the world. We may have lower absolute numbers, but here it's quality, not quantity, that counts. Especially with Kira, Mu, and me up there."

"You're right." She took a deep, calming breath. "So, what are the chances the Wraith will be ready for the battle? I hear you designed a lot of the systems."

"True. The hyper jammers were my brainchild, and so were a few other major components; when this is all over, maybe I'll go into engineering. Or maybe not," he added cheerfully, then went on more seriously. "But I'm afraid the chances of it being up and running by the start of the battle are nil. It's _possible_ it'll be up before the battle is over; the problem isn't in the machine itself, it's that we don't have any trained pilots. Every mobile suit pilot we have, besides the _Archangel_'s complement, is assigned to the Astrays; we can't spare any from there because, however good the Wraith is supposed to be, the M1 is a proven design that works. This, unfortunately, isn't a time for risks, however calculated."

Cagalli scratched her head. "What about Tolle? I heard he's conscious..."

"He is," Kevin conceded, "and I talked to him about an hour ago. He's raring to go, but I honestly don't think he's ready. Not when he's just been conscious a few days, after being out for a month and a half."

"Mobile suit piloting is pretty stressful, but it's not exactly physically demanding," she pointed out. "I mean, sure, under normal circumstances I wouldn't be suggesting it either. But if there's a chance he could help, in the situation we're in..."

Snake sighed. "I know. But Tolle nearly got himself killed last time -something which he blamed me for, by the way, until he heard the story from Mir- and _Mir_ doesn't want him risking himself like that. But I suppose it _is_ his decision." He shrugged. "Even so, there's no way he'll be ready in the next hour. I give at least until half an hour into the battle before we can _possibly_ expect Wraith to be up."

"Guess you're right. By the way," Cagalli added with a grin, "if you're still dead-set against politics, you might not want to stick around after the war."

"And why," he asked suspiciously, "might that be?"

"There's talk of making you the next DCI," she said simply.

Kevin blinked (the strongest reaction of surprise he'd usually allow himself). "Director of Central Intelligence? Me? Over my dead body! Besides, Frank's the super-spy, not me. No, there's not a chance in the world I'll allow that."

"Figured you'd say that." Cagalli looked at the tactical displays. "You'd better get going," she said more seriously. "You don't want to be late for _this_ battle."

"Da," he agreed, and turned to leave.

"Be careful, okay?" she called after him.

Snake waved a hand. "Da, tovarisch. Aren't I always?"

* * *

The battle began without Orb's newest weapons. The first line of defense was, instead, the numerous Astrays Orb had built, and Kira Yamato had programmed; in the lead were the three test pilots: Asagi Caldwell, Juri Wu Nien, and Mayura Labatt. They were green, but so were the Earth Alliance mobile suit pilots; only the 13th Autonomous Corps had seen combat, and they had been wiped out at Panama. Which meant the first stage of the battle came down to which was a better machine, and Erica Simmons' weapons had gone through a far longer development cycle than the rush-job GAT-01 Strike Daggers. 

So the land battle was first left to the M1s; at the same time, Orb's Aegis ships set sail, followed closely by the _Archangel_. Here the experience was about even for both sides... but once again, Orb's technology, with the help of a former Earth Alliance ship whose computers were the brainchildren of one Kevin Walker, held the advantage.

To this point, the Earth Forces' only advantage was in pure numbers.

"It's time," Muruta Azrael, who had come in person aboard a _Powell_-class carrier, ordered; and the missiles began to take flight.

Immediately, the Orb forces began shooting them down; Aegis ships were designed for that sort of work, and the _Archangel_'s weapons worked admirably in that regard, as well.

"Target the ship's Gottfrieds," Ramius ordered from _Archangel_'s Bridge. "Fire!"

The enormous anti-ship cannons blasted many a missile out of the sky with a single shot, and the Igelstellungs added their computer-directed firepower to the melee.

Round One went to Orb.

Round Two began very shortly, as the _Powells_ opened their modified flanks to deploy the Daggers. This did not go unnoticed. "Juri!" Mayura warned. "The Earth Forces are deploying their mobile suits!"

In the Operations Room, Cagalli was receiving similar reports. "Enemy mobile suits have landed on the Izanagi shoreline!"

"Dispatch the 8th Armored Battalion to hold them off," she ordered.

"Large carriers detected above Onogoro Island."

"What?" Cagalli looked down at the display. "All right. Signal the _Archangel_ to deploy mobile suits immediately."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

"Signal from HQ," Mir reported; with Kuzzey gone, she'd taken over the communications station, with Sai at fire control and Romero Pal now down in CIC. "We're to launch mobile suits at once." 

"Very well." Ramius punched up her intercom. "Hanger, prepare mobile suits for launch."

_"Good,"_ Kevin replied._ "Ready when you are."_

Kira was the first into the catapults. "Kira Yamato; Freedom, let's do it!" The linear accelerator spat the Freedom Gundam out the port flight deck, and the starboard warmed up.

_"Strike, go ahead!"_ Mir said from the Bridge.

La Flaga sealed his visor, feeling downright eager to go into battle. For the first time, he could actually _do_ something significant against mobile suits. "Mu La Flaga, launching in Strike!"

Snake was the last into the catapults, his Stormhawk practically humming with power. Erica Simmons had made the machine more powerful than ever, and he looked forward to getting some of his own back from the Earth Forces bastards who had tried to incinerate him at JOSHUA. Besides which, he'd just heard Muruta Azrael was here in person; that was an opportunity that could not be passed up.

"Snake here. Stormhawk launching!"

* * *

On the lead Earth Forces carrier, three special pilots were getting ready for launch, imbibing a special drug and climbing into their new, untested mobile suits. Reckless bookworm Orga Sabnak in the GAT-X131 Calamity, antisocial music-lover Shani Andras piloting X252 Forbidden, and hotheaded video game-player Clotho Buer flying X370 Raider. 

_"Say, boys..."_ Azrael began as they readied for launch.

"What?" Orga demanded.

"Huh?" Shani grunted.

"Yeah," Clotho said warily.

_"It's extremely important that you _not_ damage Morgenroete _or_ the mass driver,"_ their boss told them._ "Do you understand?"_

"But we can do anything _else_ we want to, right?" Shani said hopefully.

"Oh, _yeah_," Clotho said, satisfied.

"Why don't you guys just shut up," their theoretical leader, Orga, said impatiently.

The carrier's side hatches opened, and the Forbidden flew out, followed closely by the Raider; a second later, the Calamity (incapable of independent flight) landed atop the Raider. The trio were a formidable team.

Or would have been, if they _fought_ as a team.

* * *

Kevin might have thought the situation "good" _before_ launching, but once in the air he was not so sure. On the other hand, he thought with a tight grin, at least he was flying one of the most advanced mobile suits in existence, with powerful ranged weapons and melee weapons fit to slice almost anything in half. 

He was _not_, however, using the Zero System. It took a lot to scare the Snake, but having his brain nearly fried when the system was damaged managed it quite nicely. He absolutely refused to use it if he could possibly avoid it.

Of course, with all these targets, that might be a difficult resolution to stick to.

_I think some would call this being surrounded,_ Snake thought to himself._ I, on the other hand, prefer to think of it as a "target-rich environment"._

Things weren't going so well for the Astrays; there were simply too many targets. But the three test pilots were holding their own... mostly. Juri was being pressed backwards into a cliff by a persistent Dagger... until Mayura showed up, firing her beam rifle. "Back off!"

Not far away, Asagi was driven backwards by another determined enemy, her shield the only thing between her and a nasty beam saber. "Mayura!" she called desperately.

The help came not from her fellow Astray pilot, however; instead, the Freedom came down from the sky. Kira's face was quite expressionless as his targeting computer locked onto the various Daggers in the area and allocated the Freedom's firepower accordingly. Balaena plasma cannons, Xiphias railguns, and Lupus beam rifle all opened up at once, destroying or disarming all but two of the directly opposing foes.

And the two survivors found out why you do not irritate Kira Yamato. He stowed his beam rifle, let go of his shield, and whipped out both Lacertas; with a pair of flashing blows, he cut off their weapons arms and legs, leaving them to drop uselessly to the dirt. Without a wasted second, he then snatched up his shield and was back in the skies.

"Awesome!" Asagi whispered.

Another Dagger exploded, victim of a beam straight through the cockpit, and the rebuilt Strike landed in a crouch where the enemy had been. "Wow, this is pretty cool," La Flaga muttered cheerfully. "Though I'm still kinda new at this."

"Could've fooled me, Mu," Snake told him, materializing nearby. He, too, was a force to be reckoned with, despite his earlier difficulties with mobile suit warfare.

This time, when a Dagger tried for him, he reacted quite well: Stormhawk's right shoulder compartment opened up, his hand snatched out the beam saber stowed within, and he slashed the mass-produced piece of junk in half.

"Not bad, Snake," Mu judged. "Better than last time, huh?"

"Last time, I got swarmed by about twenty ZAFT machines," Snake retorted. "These Daggers are better, to be sure, but I don't have as many coming at me at once." On the heels of the remark, a fighter attempted to attack him; his reply was to pull out his twin buster rifle, switch it to the new mode Erica had installed (which allowed him to fire it in a simple double-beam mode, rather than an overpowering blast that wiped out everything for a kilometer or so), and point it almost straight up. At the proper moment, he pulled the trigger.

Zap. No more fighter.

"Glad to see you, Baron," Asagi called.

"For the last time," Snake replied, taking to the air, "don't call me Baron!" His shoulder-mounted machine guns popped up, and he blew another fighter into oblivion.

"Look out!" Kira warned from out over the water. "Three new machines, twelve o'clock."

"Don't we ever get a day off?" Snake complained to Mu.

"No rest for the wicked, Snake," the Hawk replied with a chuckle. "Let's get 'em."

"Roger that."

Raider, with Calamity aboard, swooped in on the _Archangel_. "That white one," Clotho muttered, obviously not realizing what it was, "it's mine!"

It was actually the Calamity that opened fire, however; unfortunately for him, _Archangel_ saw it coming. "Incoming heat source!" Sai called.

"Evade!" Ramius ordered instantly, and the ship swerved to the side... which, regrettably, resulted in an Aegis ship getting blasted.

"Figures," Clotho muttered to his nominal superior. "You missed it!"

Raider tipped to the side, dropping its passenger onto one of the islands, then resumed its attack on the _Archangel_. "Annihilate!" he shouted, using one of his patented video game-inspired battle cries.

Freedom, however, took a dim view of his attempt to smash his mace-like spherical breaker through the ship's forward viewport, and kicked him in the head.

Clotho dropped like a sack of bricks, and Shani took up the challenge, taking a swipe at Kira with his scythe. Unluckily for him, the Coordinator dodged with absurd ease, and the Forbidden took off to find easier prey.

With a laugh, the green-haired pilot sliced an Aegis ship's superstructure in half before the Freedom could get close, and then the Raider emerged from the water. _"Surprise!_ You're terminated!" He flung the Mjollnir ball 'n chain at the winged mobile suit, narrowly missing.

The attack did not go unnoticed. "Terminate _this_," Snake radioed to the other pilot, and blasted him in the back. The energy fire wasn't quite sufficient to "terminate" him, but it temporarily knocked him out of the fight.

Round Two was, so far, a draw.

* * *

On the ground, well away from the main battle, Dearka Elsman stood watching, as he had since the battle began. _Now what? I can't exactly get out of here like this._

He glanced up, and saw that the Calamity was still where he had last seen it, all too close for comfort. _Must be the successor to my Buster... And it's blowing up a country just because they wanted to mind their own business!_

Mir's words went through his head again. _"I'd better be! I'm in charge of the _Archangel_'s CIC. Besides... Orb is my homeland."_

_I have _got_ to be crazy,_ Dearka thought, even as he turned to run toward the Morgenroete factory. Without stopping, he pulled out the radio Snake had given him, and turned it on.

Snake had just blown up another of the seemingly endless cannon-fodder mobile suits when he felt the distinctive click in his head. "Walker here," he subvocalized, maneuvering against another fighter.

_"Snake!"_ Dearka said quickly._ "I need to ask you something."_

"Dearka? Look, I'm a little busy right now-"

_"Just tell me where the Buster is, okay?"_

_"What?"_ Snake hit the hyper jammers, giving himself a moment to think. "What makes you think I'll tell you?"

_"Look, do you want some help or not?"_ Dearka said, exasperated._ "You can always blow me up later."_

"True." The super-solider thought fast. "Okay. It's in the main hanger, next to the big bat-like thing. It's password-protected; the code is 'the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch'. Got that?"

_"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Let me guess: _you_ set the password."_

"Da. Now get going, before I change my mind."

While Snake was having his conversation with Dearka, Kira was tangling with the Forbidden again. After dodging a pair of railgun shots, he flipped over, deployed his plasma cannons, and fired... to absolutely no effect. The beams were bent by some kind of shield technology.

"Deflected... the beams?" Kira muttered, incredulous.

"Deflected, eh?" Snake switched his twin buster rifle to full power, tight beam. "Deflect _this!"_

The powerful azure beam, too strong to be deflected by the anti-beam Colloid the Forbidden mounted, was seen by Muruta Azrael. The industrialist/ head of Blue Cosmos frowned. The pilot's technique seemed familiar...

* * *

The _Archangel_ was, for once, being left alone by the main forces; at the moment, it was merely being attacked by a squadron of missile-armed fighter craft. 

The Igelstellungs handled the missiles, but the aircraft themselves escaped... until a green beam came out of nowhere to smite part of the formation from the skies.

"What the-" Ramius craned her neck, wondering what had fired the shot.

Sai looked at his displays in complete shock. "The Buster!"

The Captain's head snapped around, and Mir gasped audibly. For indeed, standing knee-deep in the harbor was the Buster, both rifles leveled at the fighter squadron. Looking nice and shiny after its recent refit, it fired its shoulder-mounted missile launchers, then obliterated the stragglers with his beam rifle.

"Archangel_, fall back, quickly!"_

Mir couldn't take her eyes off the display, she was so stunned. "But why... is he...?"

Circling above in mobile armor mode, Stormhawk waggled its wings at the Buster. "Nice one, Dearka, thanks for the assist."

"Thank me later; I'm still not sure what on earth I'm doing." Dearka snapped off another shot. "By the way, Snake, there wasn't any other mobile suit in the hanger; it must have taken off already."

_"What?"_

At that moment, a batwinged mobile suit appeared out of thin air and cleaved a Dagger in half with its mighty beam scythe. "Hey, guys," Tolle said cheerfully, appearing in hologram form in Snake's cockpit. "Need some help?"

_First things first,_ Snake told himself with a deep, calming breath. "Tolle, ignore the Buster; it's on our side here. Now, just what the_ blazes_ are you doing out here? You're not ready."

Another, female voice broke in with a sigh. "I keep telling him that myself, Baron. Or is it Lieutenant? This dunce couldn't make up his mind."

_Okay, just kill me now._ Taking firm control of his emotions, Snake spoke into his radio. "Who is this?"

"Mobile suit operational-assistance Application eXperimental," Tolle said with a grimace. "Your pal Simmons' latest brainstorm."

"Call me Max," the voice said cheerfully. "I'm Wraith's battle computer; Erica created me in part to help this reckless idiot keep himself alive while he learned the ropes. Of course," the computer sniffed, "it'd help if he actually_ took_ my advice."

"Like I need a keeper," Tolle protested.

"Well, you do, at least until you learn you shouldn't take mobile armors into battle with G-machines. So, to repeat my first question, do I call you Baron or Lieutenant?"

"Actually, I settle for Snake," Snake said, fighting a sense of the unreal. "I'm not in the military anymore, and I hate being a nobleman... as Tolle well knows."

"Well, why didn't you _say_ so, idiot?" Max demanded of Tolle. "Instead of getting all-"

The super-soldier switched frequencies. _Man,_ he thought._ It's a good thing she's a computer, or Mir would pitch a fit!_

It occurred to him then that perhaps he ought to call the_ Archangel_ and inform them that Tolle was in the air._ "Archangel," _Snake radioed, "this is Snake. Mir, you ought to know that Tolle is airborne."

_"What? Is he_ crazy?_ He's only been able to _walk_ since yesterday!" _Mir protested._ "He'll get himself killed!"_

"Uh, possibly not," he replied with a chuckle. "I think Erica shared your opinion of Tolle's brains, so she gave the mobile suit he's flying -the new M2000- a self-aware battle computer. If you hear him arguing with a woman, it's actually Max, his AI. And she seems pretty determined to keep him in one piece."

_"She'd better be,"_ she muttered. _"Though if she's that protective, I ought to meet her... or however it is you get acquainted with a computer."_

"Right." Snake had the unpleasant feeling the Mir and Max were going to get along like a house on fire, given their mutual interest in keeping Tolle alive and the fact that since one of them was a computer, jealousy was not a factor. "Anyway, I've got a battle to fight."

_

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Tolle was jockeying the Wraith around, actually half-ways enjoying the battle. It was his first time flying a mobile suit in combat, and even with his overprotective AI, it was an exhilarating experience._ Better than flying a Skygrasper, that's for sure... and maybe this time, I won't be knocked down by friendly fire._

He remembered when he'd first awakened from his coma, and winced; he'd said a few things he really shouldn't have. On the other hand, at least he'd been alive to say them.

_Tolle slowly pulled himself out of the darkness to full consciousness, thinking muzzily that if he wasn't dead, he wished he was._

_"Mir, he's waking up," a familiar voice said. "Tolle, can you hear me?"_

_"Snake?" Tolle slowly opened his eyes. "What happened?" He seemed to be in some kind of hospital room; he couldn't tell where, except that it wasn't the _Archangel_'s Infirmary. "Where am I?"_

_"You're in an Orb military hospital," Mir told him; then she broke down, holding Tolle's hand and crying._

_"Hey," he said drowsily, "it's okay, Mir, really. I'm fine." He looked over at Snake, who leaned against a wall; his arm looked a little odd, though Tolle was too sleepy to understand why. "What happened, Snake? I can't quite remember..."_

_The super-soldier cleared his throat. "The Aegis threw its shield at you, in the Marshall Islands, while you were flying a Skygrasper. I managed to intercept it with my machine, but-"_

_"That's right," Tolle said, suddenly awake and angry. "You nearly killed me yourself!"_

_"Tolle!" Mir protested._

_"I saved your life, old friend, in case you didn't notice," Kevin pointed out coolly. "I may have knocked you out of the sky, but at least you had time to eject."_

_Tolle's anger deflated; besides, he was too tired. "You're right, Snake. Sorry."_

_"Forget it." Snake smiled. "At least you're alive, my friend."_

_And now,_ Tolle thought,_ I don't have to worry about kinetic weapons. Which means maybe I wouldn't give Mir heart failure again._ His mood darkened._ Besides, this blasted computer won't let me._

* * *

"Hey, Snake," Tolle called suddenly over the Stormhawk's radio, "there's-" 

"Something else out here," Max broke in. "I'm reading increased nuclear fission levels, and that means-"

"Something equipped with a nuclear engine and an N-jammer canceler," Tolle finished. His image glared at something off-screen. "And shouldn't I be the one doing the talking?"

"Hey, you're busy doing the fighting," the computer said defensively. "I thought I'd save you the trouble. Besides, distractions in combat can be fatal."

Snake hung his head and moaned as the pilot and his AI bickered._ Oh, man. And I thought it was bad when Kira and Cagalli used to argue. This... this... Ugh._

"Back to the original point," Max said finally, "the only mobile suits I know of with N-jammer cancellers are Stormhawk, Freedom, and me. And since I'm the only Orb machine with it, and ZAFT is the only other group who knows how to build them..."

"Yeah."_ Athrun,_ Snake thought. "Okay, Max, keep an eye out. _Not_ you, Tolle. Concentrate on getting out alive."

"Yeah, whatever," Tolle said glumly. He glared at the computer's speaker. "How come you obey his orders, huh?"

"Because it so happens he came up with most of the principles behind my simulated cerebral cortex," Max replied sweetly. "And besides, you_ do_ need a keeper."

Snake shut off his radio link with the Wraith._ Trouble. Definitely trouble. Erica, if you'd set her on _me_ I'd have had you shot._

Things were coming to a head, as the Freedom madly dodged blasts coming from all three new Gundams. Finally, though, he took a hit on his shield from the Forbidden's scythe, and Kira fell back a pace. In the interval it took him to recover, the Raider powered up its head-mounted short-range hyper-impulse cannon. "Game over," Clotho whispered, and fired.

At the last instant, a red machine interposed itself and its shield between the beam and the Freedom, then raised its beam rifle and fired, catching the Raider in the shoulder.

The three pilots stared at the machine in shock, as did Kira and Snake... as the Justice and Athrun Zala floated protectively in front of the friend he had tried time and time again to kill.

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has finally begun to patch things up with Athrun, Tolle is conscious and flying his own mobile suit, and the Battle of Orb has begun. Soon, the situation will go entirely to pieces… 

All right, another long chapter (which, if I'm not mistaken, will be the norm from here on out), with a lot of things covered.

In case you're wondering, Wraith is supposed to be the Deathscythe H Custom (and I seem to be making a habit of taking things from Gundam Wing and then modifying them; hmm); as for Max, she's an outgrowth of an earlier I had, and subsequently discarded, to give Stormhawk a self-aware AI. It struck when I was writing this chapter that said computer would be appropriate for Tolle's machine, given his… questionable battle tactics. Max will, of course, also be around to rant at Kevin when he starts getting too moody; you'll see what I mean in an upcoming chapter.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I think I know _why_ you were hoping I'd keep Tolle dead; as to that, I will say only that I have some ideas in that regard for the sequel.

Now… I'm afraid your remark about Shinn Asuka's family leaves me a little puzzled. I knew his family died in the battle of Orb, and that he has a grudge against Kira for some reason or other, but I didn't know the two were connected; apparently, my information about Destiny has even more holes than I thought.

As to your final comment, there really isn't much more to tell about Rachel Carver, alias Medusa, that hasn't already been said. She was Kevin's first girlfriend, who died when he went berserk at the ABADDON lab. Her tale is more a footnote than anything else, another piece of the puzzle of Kevin Walker's dark past.

Daniel Lynx, since I've never played Bloody Roar 3 or 4 (by the time I got a PS2, 3 was nowhere to be found, and I've heard bad things about 4), Carter won't be using any moves from those games. Besides which, I'm not sure where another hand-to-hand confrontation between the two would fit; though of course they do meet again in this story.

And yes, I am aware of the upgrading trick in Battle Assault 3; I use it to great effect in most battles. The problem is that those dratted GuAIZ's don't like to give me time to input them.

About Flay: I'm going on the assumption that she was captured, of course; to change that would make things… tricky.

RVD, it's not that Carter is stronger than thought to be; it's just that, inferior to Kevin or not, he is stronger than an un-augmented human. Besides which, Kira never really has the opportunity to enter the engagement, even were he properly trained in ground combat.

Victor, I'm glad you approve of Kevin Walker. I realized from the first that people didn't like characters who were_ too_ powerful, so I've always made an effort to make him properly fallible. That's the original reason behind his relative lack of skill in a mobile suit: it keeps things balanced.

And I'm very, very glad someone else actually understands what I'm talking about, with regard to nuclear reactors. I'll get to that point more fully in a few moments.

Shinji Ikari… time to get down to business, I suppose. First of all, about the biological CPUs, suffice it to say that Kevin already has some knowledge of the concept; that'll be in the next chapter.

Yes, I suppose the issue of Kevin's missing the shot at Alaska will be noted at some point, probably during his next encounter with Mr. Metal Mask. I really don't think it's that important, but…

I know, by the way, about the "JOSH-A" spelling; however, as the website notes, it's usually spoken of as JOSHUA, so that's how it came out in the story.

Now, regarding the changes Cartoon Network made to the episodes: while my copy does have the blood in Phase-49, I have found_ no_ instance of cursing, not even the line of Le Creuset's you mentioned. Exactly what the explanation for this discrepancy is, I do not know.

You are grasping at straws with the nuclear reactor issue, by the way. Perhaps I used a misleading term (though fission "pile"_ is_ what they call it), but in any case you are clearly still not understanding. The fissionable material, like the boron or graphite, is also in rod form; that makes it impossible to detonate them. See, you can't just taketwo chunks of plutonium and slam them together; the geometry has to be _perfect_. If it is, like in a bomb, you've got an explosion. If it isn't, like in a reactor, the worst you'll get -which I'll grant is still pretty nasty- is a meltdown.

A bomb, on the other hand, consists of two perfect hemispheres of uranium or plutonium, which, as I said before, are violently brought together, which is something that cannot be done with a nuclear fission_ reactor._

So I'll say this one more time: I don't care what the series claims, you_ CANNOT MAKE A FISSION REACTOR EXPLODE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. It is physically impossible, no matter what you do to it._ If you don't believe me, look it up. Just understand this:_ they made a mistake._

Okay. On to less exasperating topics.

I _will_ get to the modification to Chapter 17, never fear; I'm just a little busy with the rest of the story at the moment. And yes, you have a point about Kira's lack of emotion upon learning of Tolle's survival; another thing to add to the list.

I'm glad you approved of the character interaction, especially the Kevin/Cagalli portions. That's something I've always paid_ very_ close attention to, and I'm pleased my efforts are paying off.

As for Oracle, though he will be explained a little more later on, he was never meant to be a fully-fleshed-out character. He was intended basically to be the cause of most of Kevin's misfortunes, and the disturbing voice in the dreams; nothing more. And besides, he's already dead.

About Guardian… who said things were actually explained already? Did I? Though I'm not sure where you get the idea that Kevin lied to Mu when he said he didn't know why he and Carnehan were separated at birth; you'll notice Kevin states he didn't even know about Guardian until they reached Orb the first time.

I'd never thought of comparing Kevin's history to Xenosaga before; but then, I'm not really familiar with Pied Piper. All I really know is that somebody from it who Ziggy really doesn't like turns up in Episode 2 (though, regrettably, I haven't gotten that far yet).

You've got it about right, when it comes to Uzumi's… strong… reaction to Kevin's origins. While he has nothing against genetic engineering per se, I imagine even he would have qualms about a program such as this.

Now, finally, about the confrontation with Carter. First off, it never occurred to me to think that a batch of combat veterans such as those three would be completely helpless, even under those circumstances; the idea of Mu La Flaga or Cagalli, especially, just sitting there waiting to be rescued or killed never entered my head.

You're about right in thinking it was Carter's arrogance that kept him from transforming; that and the fact that at that point, most people, probably even most Destroyers, wouldn't have been able to mount an effective attack.

As for Kevin not killing him… If he'd been properly in control, he probably would have. However, since he_ wasn't, _he didn't make the best tactical choices (and besides, deep down he was probably worrying about his carpeting; it's already got some blood and bullets in it).

And, lastly, about the prosthetic and nanomachines: I'd always sort of planned on those being damaged. In a way, his body is evolving along with his personality. This makes it more likely he'd be a little more cautious in battle, which in turn means he's less likely to cause his friends grief, which would certainly be on his mind.

I think that -finally- covers everything. Now to go see how much gets italicized and otherwise altered for the worse when I upload; let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	27. Chapter 27: My Enemy, My Ally

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Jack Carter, Invictus, and Max

* * *

_Is this still Round Two or are we into Round Three? _Dearka mused, firing his Buster's weapons at a flight of aircraft._ And is that me thinking, or has Snake rubbed off on me?_

The surviving Astrays were holding their own; the pilots who were still alive were the ones who had learned the fastest how to translate training and theoretical tactics into reality. This included the three original test pilots, who were now blowing Strike Daggers apart like they didn't exist.

They were supported by Dearka's Buster and Mu La Flaga's Strike. "You're not getting past me!" Mu shouted, and took to the air.

"It'll take more than numbers," Dearka agreed, blasting away.

In the skies above, there was brief lull in the fighting as both sides tried to assimilate the appearance of another mobile suit. Forbidden, Raider, Freedom, and Stormhawk stared at it; and of them all, only Kevin Walker knew who the pilot was.

_Just what in the world are you doing here, Athrun? What's ZAFT got to do with this?_ His old buddy was lucky to be alive, Snake mused. His first reaction to the completely unexpected event was to point his beam cannon at the Justice; only quick thinking prevented him from vaporizing it.

"What is that thing?" Clotho demanded.

"Hmm. It's another one of those... funny looking mobile suits," Shani murmured.

Inside the Justice's cockpit, Athrun keyed his radio. "This is ZAFT Special Forces Agent... Athrun Zala," he transmitted to the Freedom. "Do you read me, Freedom? Or should I say... Kira Yamato?"

Kira gasped. _Athrun?_

(_I ran into him yesterday,_) Snake told him. (_Haven't the foggiest what he's doing here, though._)

The moment's rest was interrupted by the Raider's sudden movement. "I don't know who you are, but you're gonna be a fatality, too!"

Kira and Athrun were not impressed; their mobile suits dodged to either side of the incoming Mjollnir, and the Justice snatched out a beam saber. Continuing the motion, he snapped the handle onto the second saber, and slashed out with the resulting double-bladed weapon.

The Freedom also pulled out a blade. "What are you doing here?" Kira demanded. "Has ZAFT decided to stick its nose in this battle?"

Athrun dodged another attack and fired his backpack-mounted energy weapons. "I haven't received any specific military orders regarding this situation," he admitted. "This intervention... is my decision alone!"

"Hope you know what you're doing, pal," Snake muttered, and flung himself back into the fray. His buster rifles, aimed in two different directions, gave both Clotho and Shani fits (particularly Clotho, since the Forbidden could at least deflect the weapons... with difficulty). That also reminded him of another mobile suit in the area. "Tolle," he called, "don't attack the Justice, understand? It's friendly... for now."

"Roger that," Tolle answered; Wraith headed for land, to support the Astrays and G-weapons.

Max was less sanguine about it. "You mean we can't shoot him? Aw, why not?"

"Because," Tolle explained patiently (unaware that his link with the Stormhawk was still active), "if we shoot at something Snake tells us not to, he'll shoot _us._ Besides, we might not have the firepower to kill it."

"But it's a ZAFT machine!" the computer protested. "I mean, weren't you nearly blown up by one?"

"Sure, but have you noticed we're currently fighting the _Earth_ Forces? We're not _with_ ZAFT, but we're not at _war_ with them yet, either."

"If you insist," she grumbled. "Oh, well, there's always tomorrow."

_Battle computers,_ Snake thought._ Bloodthirsty._

"Nice to see you, Athrun," he called, sideslipping a plasma blast from the Forbidden. "At least, I think so."

"We'll see."

On the ground, Orga's Calamity noticed the aerial battle. "Take this!" he shouted, firing his back-mounted beam cannons.

He was, to say the least, a poor shot (the biased would call him pathetic), and Shani was forced to deploy his deflectors. "Watch it, Orga!"

The insanity did not end there; the deflected beams nearly struck the Raider. "Shani! You idiot!" Clotho snarled.

Below, the Buster looked up. "Huh?"

Mu followed his gaze. "What's going on up there?" The Astray test pilots had similar thoughts.

"Mind if I play, too?" Orga mocked, and jumped into the air. He came down hard on an Aegis cruiser, blowing up its Bridge; the lunatic of a pilot hardly noticed. "Have some of this!"

"Cut it out, Orga!" Clotho immediately called, narrowly dodging the blast.

"Athrun!" Kira warned, flipping away from another Mjollnir attack.

"Kira, above!" Athrun had spotted the Forbidden, coming right down at them.

Both mobile suits scattered, allowing it to fly past; Kira and Snake proceeded to engage it simultaneously. "You, buddy," the super-soldier said through gritted teeth, "are _really_ starting to bug me!" He fired his full armament of rifles, machine cannons, and plasma weaponry, only to see it blocked or deflected.

"Is that the best you got?" Shani mocked. He charged up the magnetic field between his railguns and fired the plasma cannon through it, curving the beam toward the Stormhawk...

...which had switched to mobile armor mode and banked easily out of the way. "You'll have to do better than that, nekulturny thug."

"Showing your back, huh? All the better!" Thinking himself safe, the Forbidden moved its shields and charged forward, firing its railguns. And thus making a very big mistake.

Snake deployed both wing-mounted plasma cannons and swiveled them 180 degrees around. They targeted on the same point, and fired at the same time, reaching the coordinates at the same moment. The resulting inferno blew the Forbidden backwards.

"Hmm. Upgrades," Athrun commented; he hadn't seen that particular trick before. The distraction nearly cost him, though; he had to move fast to avoid another Mjollnir strike.

Snake broke off, heading off to shore to assist against the Daggers, leaving Kira to deal with the Forbidden. The task proved quite frustrating, as it deflected everything that came at it. Until the Justice's Fatum-00, operating under remote-control, distracted Shani by flying mere centimeters above.

By the time he oriented on the real threat, the Freedom was already there; both Xiphias railguns fired at point-blank range, blasting him away.

Before the Forbidden could even fall very far, Wraith appeared out of nowhere (Tolle had noticed Shani's primary weapon and decided to come play, too). "Hey, buddy," he said cheerfully, "my scythe's better than yours!" With that, he sliced down, lopping off the blunt end of the Forbidden's scythe.

Meanwhile, Kira and Athrun fought the Raider, whose pilot was going completely berserk. "Finishing _move!"_ Clotho shouted, firing his head-mounted hyper-impulse cannon again.

Freedom caught the blast on its shield, and Justice, behind it, fell upside down until its beam cannons came into play. "Try this," Athrun muttered, and fired.

He missed, unfortunately... as did the next pair of beams, which came from below. "Orga! What are you doing?" Clotho demanded.

"You're bugging me!" Orga called back, and leapt into the air, still firing. This time, though, the Forbidden was the target. "The same goes for you, Shani!"

"These guys don't care about each other," Athrun commented to Kira, seeing them begin to blast each other.

Shani, of course, deflected the beams... straight at Clotho, who raced right at him. "I've had enough, Orga! You're bugging _me- Aaaahhhh!"_

The sentiment was shared -and repeated- by his theoretical comrades, at more or less the same time. To the bemusement of the defenders, the three new Gundams turned tail and headed back to their carrier, screaming in agony all the while.

"What the blazes was that?" Snake muttered, having heard the transmissions. "Not important," he decided, and turned his attention to what _was_ important... the Justice, which simply hovered in the air, facing the Freedom.

* * *

Three mobile suits hung in the air over the Orb coast, simply watching each other: Freedom, Justice, and Sturm Falke. Things seemed tense... and, to a certain extant, they were. 

"Thanks for the backup," Kira radioed to the Justice. "But I'm still wondering... What exactly are your true intentions here?"

"And you'd better have a good answer," Snake said warily. "Or I'll blow you away, friend or not. Believe it."

Athrun took in the warning, and came to a decision. The top of his machine's chest plate slid forward, and his pilot's seat rose to the top. "I'm on a mission from the homeland," he told them. "My orders are to recapture or destroy the mobile suits you're flying right now, Freedom and Stormhawk. But, as I've already told Snake, I have no intention, at least for now, of fighting you _or_ your allies."

"Athrun...?"

"I just wanna talk, okay?"

Kira watched his old friend cautiously. When last they'd met... But that was a different time, with different circumstances. "All right."

Below, on the ground, the various pilots were disembarking from their machines. The three Astray test pilots were sprawled at the foot of one mobile suit, resting; nearby, La Flaga lowered himself from the Strike and sat heavily on the ground, while Dearka opened his cockpit and watched the _Archangel_ approach.

_I guess that's my new home,_ he thought wearily._ After helping the "legged ship", whether they've left the Earth Forces or not, there's no way I can go home. What have I gotten myself into?_ But he somehow knew he'd done the right thing, and that he couldn't have lived with himself had he done anything else.

Cagalli soon approached, walking between the rows of powered-down mobile suits. "Good job, everyone," she called. "I'm not sure why they retreated, but..." Then she saw the last three machines coming in for a landing, and stopped.

Stormhawk set down first, and Snake, rather than going to ground, left the cockpit and climbed up to his vehicle's shoulder, from where he looked out across the former battlefield.

Freedom and Justice landed more or less simultaneously, and as their pilots lowered themselves to the ground, Cagalli ran forward, followed by La Flaga, Dearka, Kisaka, the Astray pilots, and a number of soldiers.

"That's the pilot we rescued," Kisaka said in surprised recognition.

_Athrun?_ Cagalli thought.

The two pilots began walking toward each other, and the soldiers raised their weapons; immediately, Snake jumped down from his high perch, apparently defying gravity, and landed in front of them with his Colt in his hand. "Anyone who fires is dead, understand?" he said in a dangerous voice. To emphasize his point, he pulled off his helmet and tossed it aside.

The resulting silence was profound. Few had previously known the identity of the M1000's mysterious pilot, but no Orb citizen could mistake the distinctive sandy hair and unnaturally bright jade eyes, features that had been plastered across televisions in fencing matches and newspapers alongside the princess of Orb many a time, before his "death".

Snake turned away, observing his friends, but the soldiers did not forget that glimpse. "That's... that's the Fencing Prince, isn't it?" someone muttered.

"He's got the Onishi look," someone else agreed.

By this time, Ramius and most of the _Archangel_'s crew had also arrived, and she signaled them to halt well away from... whatever it was that was going on.

_Who's that other pilot?_ She wondered._ That's a ZAFT flight suit, so why isn't Snake trying to kill him? He _hates_ ZAFT..._

"Snake," she began quietly, "why...? I thought you hated ZAFT."

"I do," Snake replied without turning. "But that particular pilot happens to be my brother."

"Your what?" Ramius was certain she hadn't heard correctly.

"Oh, not biologically," he conceded. "But for seven years, he, Kira, and I _were_ like brothers, attending the same lunar prep school. We parted three and a half years ago, and Kira and I didn't see Athrun again until Heliopolis. Since then, we've been trying to kill each other... the most recent time being when he blew Aegis into scrap and almost himself in the process."

"That's the guy-" Tolle began, softly but angrily.

"Da. Now shut up and don't try to attack him or I'll blow your head off." The super-soldier's voice remained level, but none doubted his words. He did not make idle threats... which was the only thing that kept La Flaga from teasing him more often about his old friend the princess.

By this time, Kira and Athrun were a mere meter and a half apart, watching each other. Neither seemed very sure what to do, neither seemed to want to be the first to speak. But then something else came to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Birdy!"

Both pilots looked up as the mechanical bird winged its way down to them, alighting on Kira's shoulder. That broke the spell, and Kira looked back at his friend and smiled. "Hi, Athrun."

Athrun clenched his fists. "Kira," he said, in an almost normal voice.

Cagalli couldn't take it anymore. Eyes shining, a bright smile on her face, she raced to the two, followed at a more sedate pace by Snake. "Oh, you guys!"

She wrapped an arm around each neck, pulling them closer together. "Uh, Cagalli?" Kira stammered, startled.

"You... you're both idiots!" she said happily.

Kira looked across at Athrun and chuckled; his friend did the same. As the tension dispelled, Snake at last arrived, completing the little group. "It's good to have you back... tovarisch."

* * *

The group soon adjourned to the Morgenroete hanger, in which had been stowed the Freedom, Justice, Strike, Buster, Stormhawk, Wraith, and the surviving Astrays. 

On the way, La Flaga quietly matched strides with Kevin. "By the way, Snake," he said quietly, "there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

The super-soldier paused. "What's that, Mu?"

The Hawk watched him closely. "Does the name 'Cain' mean anything to you?"

He knew he'd hit the mark when Snake froze; most people weren't around him long enough to notice -since he was rarely startled- but that was his distinctive mannerism when taken completely by surprise.

"I suppose," he said after a moment, "that you have a specific reason to be asking me that. Yes, I know exactly who Cain is." Jade eyes narrowed, Snake glanced sidelong at the older pilot. "You know, of course, that my ABADDON codename was Hydra; what you _don't_ know is that I sometimes used a different one." Once, he would never have revealed this information; today, so much was known of his past with ZAFT that is hardly mattered. "Some missions were meant to be discovered, Mu; but in those cases it wasn't supposed to be known that ZAFT had anything to do with it. Misdirection, _agent provocateur_ missions, intended to lay the blame on someone else's doorstep. On those ops, I used the name Cain." His eyes became narrower still. "So, how did you come across that name?"

La Flaga shrugged. "It was a couple nights after Artemis; I happened to be passing your quarters, and you were talking in your sleep."

Snake nodded. "Yeah, that's not unusual. I was on a total of six missions, and I gather I still sometimes relive them at night. So what did I say?"

"You were making some kind of mission report, I think." The pilot frowned, thinking back. "Something about 'Echo Victor one five', I think, and 'double-Sierra two niner'. Does that make any sense to you?"

Snake closed his eyes, thinking. "Echo Victor one five... That's EV15, an old ZAFT scrambler frequency used in covert operations. That much makes sense; it was only discontinued after my little fusion stunt, so it was commonly used by the Destroyers. But double-Sierra two niner... that _doesn't_ make sense. I've never been anywhere near there."

"So what does it mean?"

"Double-Sierra two niner, or 'Space-Station 29'," he explained, "is Destroyer code-talk for the Mendel Colony. And while it was only abandoned a little before I left ZAFT, I _know_ I haven't been there."

"Well, it sure meant _something,_" La Flaga said quietly. "Does 'Mike Alpha' mean anything?"

"No... Wait a minute..."

Suddenly Snake was reliving the past, something that had happened long before. _"Cain, this is Mike Alpha Actual, do you copy? Cain, do you read?"_

_"Affirm, Mika Alpha, Cain here."_

_"Radio security-?"_

_"Neg, neg, frequency _not_ secure."_

"Copy. Switch to EV15."

"Affirm; switching to Echo Victor one five. Still reading me, Mike Alpha?"

"Affirm. Mission status?"

"Mission complete, Mike Alpha. Repeat, mission successful. All Bravo-Charlies planted at double-Sierra two niner. Orders?"

"Head for the extraction point, Cain. We'll have your transport waiting for you. Well done, soldier."

"The first of many blows that will be struck for the independence of the PLANTs. Cain, over and out."

Snake shook his head, feeling a sudden pounding headache. "No... no, it can't be..."

La Flaga looked at him, concerned. "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?" he repeated. The jade eyes opened, revealing the haunted look they had. "I'm still missing bits and pieces, Mu, and one seems to have come home to roost. Except... it doesn't make any _sense_." Snake too a deep, calming breath. "What you overheard that night was me reliving a radio conversation at the conclusion of a mission, one which, until now, I had no recollection of. It was an _agent provocateur_ op, judging from the codewords used, but... It can't be, it just _can't_."

La Flaga had rarely seen his young friend that bothered by something from his checkered past. "Hey, whatever it was, it wasn't your fault. You were being controlled; there's nothing for you to feel guilty about."

"Maybe so... but I'm the one who has to live with it." Snake rubbed his head. "Mu... I was reporting on the emplacement of 'Bravo-Charlies' on the Mendel Colony."

"So?" The Hawk couldn't see any significance to it.

"So, it means _I'm_ responsible for one of the most heinous acts in the history of space colonization!" the super-soldier snarled. "'Bravo-Charlies', for your information, are 'biological contaminants'."

La Flaga's blood ran cold. "Bio contaminants... But that's what took out the colony... Wait a second, that was supposed to have been a Blue Cosmos job."

_"Agent provocateur,"_ Snake reminded him. "And 'Mike Alpha' wasn't Oracle. In fact, combining the voice with the fact that 'Mike Alpha' stands for the initials 'M.A.', I'd say I'd been loaned to Muruta Azrael."

"Azrael...? Coordinators working with Coordinator-hunters?" The Hawk shook his head, puzzled. "That doesn't make sense. What does it mean?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Mu." Snake closed his eyes. "But I'm bloody well going to find out. I'm tired of missing pieces of my memory, and I have a right, a _duty_ to know what I did for ZAFT." He took a deep breath. "Well, it doesn't really matter right now. What _does_ matter is finding out exactly what's going on with my old friend there."

"Yeah, about that guy... Who is he?"

Kevin grinned. "He's the guy I tried to kill in orbit, the guy who shot Murrue on Heliopolis, and the guy who blew up the Strike and his Aegis. He also happens to be one of my closest friends... or he was." He starting walking again, adding over his shoulder, "I still don't _quite_ trust him."

* * *

By the time Snake caught up with them, Kira and Athrun were already sitting on an equipment crate, talking. "I know that this is the most difficult path we could've chosen," Kira was saying, "But-" He broke off for a moment as Cagalli arrived with coffee. "Thanks. Anyway, it's the right thing to do, you know?" He absently sipped at the mug (it was, as had become usual for the _Archangel_'s crew and even Morgenroete, one of Andrew Waltfeld's brews, recipe provided courtesy of one Kevin Walker). 

"But, why?" Athrun asked, glancing briefly at Snake as he arrived.

"I believe that Cagalli's father is right," Kira answered. "If Orb were to side with the Earth Forces, they'd have to fight the PLANTs, and the same would be true if they joined forces with ZAFT. The only difference would be in which country they were considered the enemy."

Athrun nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. But there's still..."

"I know." The brown-haired Coordinator remembered the battle Athrun was thinking of. "I tried to take your friend's life, and would have, if Snake hadn't done it first. But... it's not like I wanted to do it, and I'd never even met the guy."

The ZAFT pilot directed his gaze at Snake. "But you had, hadn't you?"

The super-soldier nodded. "Yeah. We moved in the same circles in the PLANTs, when I was still living under my own name." He glanced away. "I didn't want to do it, Athrun, and I didn't even know it _was_ Nicol until just after the event, but..."

"Yeah," Athrun agreed, swallowing hard.

"And then," Kira went on, "you nearly did the same to _my_ friend. But you hadn't met _him_ either, and..."

"So _that's_ the guy you tried to take on with a Skygrasper?" another voice broke in. "Are you _that_ stupid?"

"Oh, shut up," Tolle grumbled from within Wraith's cockpit.

"Uh, what's that?" Athrun asked, perplexed.

"That," Snake said with a rare grin, "is Max; you should meet her sometime, I'm sure you'd get along. She's Tolle's battle computer, in the Wraith, a sentient AI with a smart aleck streak a light-year wide... and as you can see, they don't always get along."

"Uh, right..." _Is _everybody_ in Orb crazy?_ Athrun wondered.

"Tolle's the friend you attacked," Kira explained. He looked at his friend. "It wasn't intentional, right?"

"No," the ZAFT pilot admitted. "But... I was actually trying to finish _you_."

"Same here." When Athrun looked at him sharply, Kira smiled slightly and tilted his head back. "It would be nice if we lived in a world where we never had to fight," he explained slowly, obliquely. "I wish we could all live in that world... forever. But this war keeps escalating... and at this rate, we'll have no choice but to destroy each other."

"And personally," Snake interjected, "I'd really rather not have the planet blown up under me."

The Freedom's pilot nodded agreement. "And that's why I've chosen to fight," he finished. "I only wanted to protect people, but now that I've pulled the trigger, there's no turning back." He looked at Athrun again. "Will we have to fight each other again?"

"Kira!" Athrun protested.

Kira merely looked at him, not speaking, and a flash of the past went through Athrun's mind. _"If I am to be your enemy, then you might as well shoot me now," Lacus said in a determined voice. "Athrun Zala, soldier of ZAFT!"_

The blue-clad pilot finally stood. "I should get back to my duties now," he said, walking away. "We never know when they'll attack us again."

Athrun also stood. "I have one question: The Freedom is equipped with a neutron-jammer canceler. What would happen... if that data...?"

Kira smiled reassuringly. "If anyone tried to get that data from me for their own purposes, I'd shoot them."

The ZAFT pilot nodded slowly, and turned to Snake. "Kevin, my father told me yours was also retrofitted with that device..."

The super-soldier cocked his head. "I won't deny I made a copy of it, but the Wraith has both the data and the device; not even Morgenroete has a copy." He straightened and walked past, heading to his own machine. A few steps later, though, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "Athrun. You know your father's life is forfeit, right?"

Snake left without waiting for a reply. _Yeah, Snake,_ Athrun thought, unconsciously using Kevin's nickname, _I know. It was forfeit the day he issued orders to have you kidnapped. But... how do _I_ really feel about it?_

Behind him, Cagalli looked at his drawn features, concerned.

* * *

Snake, after leaving the hanger, took a little jaunt deeper into the Morgenroete facilities; Erica Simmons had sent for him, saying she had something to show him. 

"Ah, there you are, Baron," she said, seeing him enter (he still hadn't convinced her not to call him Baron; he suspected she did it simply to get a rise out of him). "I thought this new gadget might come in handy. Oh, just a second." Ominously, from Snake's viewpoint, Simmons strapped on a pair of welding goggles, then pointed to a weapon that lay on a nearby cart. "I remembered how much trouble you had with Carter the other day, so I checked the Morgenroete files of canceled designs, figuring I might something of use. This was the result."

"Canceled design?" Snake eyed the weapon (which resembled a twentieth-century shotgun, but with a three-centimeter bore) dubiously. "If it was canceled, doesn't that tell you that just _maybe_ there was a reason for it?"

"Sure there was," Erica agreed. "But that reason was weight; no normal human, Natural or Coordinator, could even _lift_ the thing. It would have to be used as a crew-served weapon, and with the advent of mobile suits those are kinda pointless. But since you can lift -what was it, ten times your body weight?- I thought it might be just the thing. Try it out, Baron."

Curiously suspicious (_or is that suspiciously curious?_ he wondered), he hefted the weapon, noticing immediately the weight problems that had doomed it. The bloody thing weighed at least a hundred kilos, maybe more. "Big beastie," Snake murmured, and threw it to his shoulder, right hand gripping the pistol-style grip and left supporting the barrel. He turned to a nearby target and rested his finger lightly on the trigger.

Simmons looked nervous. "Uh, you might want to be careful with that, it's a-"

FWOOSH.

"Plasma rifle," she finished, wincing at the backwash from the weapon.

The target had been terminated with extreme prejudice; "obliterated" was far too mild a word for what had been done by the red-white beam. It was a fusion blast in a rifle, a miniaturized version of the Balaena plasma cannons used by both Freedom and Stormhawk. The heat of a sun, in a -theoretically- man-portable form.

Snake blinked as his vision returned to normal (both his bionic eye and his augmented natural one had polarized at the last instant), and looked himself over. He was slightly singed, and he had the distinct feeling his eyebrows were slightly the worse for wear. But the results had been for worse for the target. "Whoa."

"Very whoa," Simmons agreed. "It's the most powerful small-arm in existence, but only augmented soldiers can even lift the thing, let alone fire it. Being an energy weapon, it obviously has no recoil; but that doesn't help if you need a machine to move it a centimeter." She pulled off her goggles and smiled. "So, Baron. Think this will make your next run-in with your sociopathic clone a little easier?"

"Oh, yeah," Snake said appreciatively. "I know from personal -if temporary- experience that even a Destroyer can't survive the heat of a sun. I look forward to introducing him to it." He slung the weapon behind his back with its shoulder-sling. "Does it have a name?"

"Morgenroete Plasma Rifle Mark I," she replied. "We call it the Dragon."

"Very appropriate." Kevin suddenly shot her a sharp look. "Okay, Erica, drop the other shoe. There must be _some_ kind of catch."

"There is," Simmons acknowledged. "Power. You have three options: replaceable power packs, which hold three shots each, a backpack power unit for up to fifty, or, for defending a set position, you could connect it to a full-blown generator for effectively unlimited shots. Personally, I'd say the power packs are your best bet, since you can carry several and you're not likely to run into much that will require more than one shot; that thing'll clear corridors like nothing else. But you're the soldier, not me, so you know best."

"Yeah... Thanks, Erica." Snake smiled slowly, idly stroking the powerful weapon. "How soon can you get the necessary supplies manufactured and loaded onto the _Archangel_?"

"It's already begun," Erica assured him. "Only one backpack generator, of course; there's just the one gun, after all. The first batch of power packs will be aboard by morning. They're rechargeable, so you should hang onto empties."

"Right. Thanks, mon ami; I daresay 'Mad Jack' Carter won't like our next meeting." He checked the weapon again. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'd better get back to the hanger."

"By the way, Snake," she called after him, for once using his nickname instead of his title. "Has there been any word of Carter?"

Snake shook his head. "Not since I tossed him through a window. He'll be back, though; and when he is, I'll be ready for him."

* * *

In the _Archangel_'s hanger, Athrun leaned against one of the storage scaffolds for his Justice, thinking; he soon realized Cagalli was still in the area, leaning against another side of the same structure. "Why are you sticking so close to me?" 

"Don't mind me," she said, apparently offhand. "I'm just standing guard."

"So I see," he said with a smile, not quite buying it.

"You must be relieved that Kira's alive," Cagalli said after a time.

Athrun glanced at her. "Yeah," he agreed after a moment. "You know," he added, "I never thanked you properly before."

"Sure you did!" she said instantly. "Definitely! Well, maybe," she added after a moment's thought.

"Are you sure?"

Cagalli shrugged. "You weren't quite yourself; maybe you don't remember."

Athrun accepted that; "not quite himself" was something of an understatement. At the time, he'd believed he'd just blown up two of his closest friends... one of them for something the other did.

"Kira's changed, don't you think?" she said after a while.

Athrun thought about that. "No," he said finally.

"He hasn't?" The answer surprised her.

"He's the same as he always was." He glanced up as Kevin reentered the hanger, a strange rifle-like weapon on his back, and ascended to his mobile suit's chest with a few superhuman leaps. "Kevin has, though." Athrun glanced back at Cagalli. "But I guess you'd know that even better than I do, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "And you're right, he has." She looked pensive, thinking back. "I don't know if he acted the same at Copernicus as he did back home, but he always used to be a real cheerful guy; a little quiet, maybe, but rarely depressed or anything. Not much interested in fighting, either, except for fencing."

"Yeah, he was like that on the Moon, too." Athrun chuckled. "He ever tell you how Kira and I found out he was a zoanthrope?"

"No, he didn't." Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "But if I know him, it was spectacular, right?"

"You could say that." He chuckled. "He had a little bully trouble for awhile, when he was eight or nine, and a couple of the biggest got together and tried to corner all three of us one time; they were years older than us, so it looked like we were in for a pounding. But Kevin, even untrained and that young, wasn't somebody you wanted to mess with. He went tiger and then pounded both of them into paste; by the time he was done, they weren't dead, but they'd been damaged sufficiently that they literally had no idea what had happened." He smiled. "Bullies didn't bother us after that."

"I bet. That's how he was in Orb, too." She thought back several months. "But when I met him again on Heliopolis, I could hardly believe it. After all, he'd died in my arms years before. Now he was back, and with a completely different attitude. He looked ready to tear apart the building with his bare hands, and I've never seen anyone hate anything as much as he hates ZAFT. The Kevin I knew seemed to be gone, with some kind of bitter super-soldier in his place. Not too far from the truth," Cagalli conceded. "And, of course, he didn't remember me then, so it wasn't until we met in Africa that we were really reunited. He seemed normal enough then, after I helped him get his memory back, but all of a sudden he got weird, raving about needing to die for the sake of the world, or something like that. I finally had to shoot him."

Athrun chuckled again. "Yeah, that's Kevin, all right. Takes a bullet to get through to him, sometimes. But he's changed even since that night in the Indian Ocean."

"Yeah." She looked up at where Snake perched, high atop Stormhawk. "It was after he got back from wherever he was after you self-destructed the Aegis -he still won't tell even _me_ where, by the way. When I saw him again here in Orb, it was... kinda eerie, you know? Like Kevin Onishi had combined with Snake Walker. The same skills and general outlook on life as Snake, but a lot more cheerful. I haven't seen him this relaxed in years. But... there's still something. Kevin talks even less than he used to, and he just disappears sometimes, wandering around alone. Even I don't know where he goes, or why."

"I... think ZAFT did it to him," Athrun said slowly, reluctantly. "My father apparently does believe that Kevin's participation was voluntary; but I don't. And whatever they did to him, whatever conditioning, indoctrination, whatever, that they used on him, it's still there, deep down. I think he'll be fighting some of it for the rest of his life."

_Not the nightmares, though,_ Cagalli thought._ If he can manage to kill Chairman Zala... But he's your father, isn't he, Athrun? What must this be doing to you?_

Athrun starting walking away, over to the stairs at the base of the scaffold. He paused when Cagalli called after him. "So now...? So, what are you going to do now? About this, I mean?"

"I don't know," he said honestly.

"Oh, not again," she moaned, thinking of the number of times she and her friends had faced Athrun over the barrel of a gun.

"But maybe... I already know the answer," Athrun mused. He moved on. "It's a tough choice."

Cagalli watched him go. "For us all," she said softly.

* * *

Their time of rest couldn't last, of course, and the next morning things heated up again, as the three new GAT-X series mobile suits led the Earth Alliances forces into battle again. 

"Airborne mobile suit forces detected!"

The warning rang out throughout the Morgenroete hanger, and pilots moved quickly to respond. _Already?_ Dearka stood on a walkway, watching the M1 Astrays move out. He was still having his own problems, but his decision had just about been made: he would fight to protect Orb.

Below, Kira raced for the Freedom; Athrun caught up with him just short. "Kira!" The red-suited pilot put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "From the looks of things, there's no way Orb can win this battle. You know that, don't you?"

Kira looked at first surprised, then smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I think we all realize that. But... just because the odds are against us, doesn't mean we should stop fighting and let them do whatever they want to us, now does it?" He climbed the stairs to the platform that would lift him to his machine's cockpit. "The _important_ thing is knowing what you're fighting for, and that's why I'm going out there. I'd rather not fight if I can help it, but there are some things you _can't_ protect without fighting." As the platform rose, he looked back at Athrun. "Sorry, Athrun, and thank you. I'm glad we had this chance to talk."

"Kira..."

Snake came up behind him, once more appearing from nowhere. "Whatever you decide to do, Athrun, make sure it's the right choice for _you_." The keenly perceptive jade eyes looked into Athrun's. "It was good to see you again, tovarisch, and without us trying to kill each other."

A moment later, he too was gone, bounding up to his Stormhawk's cockpit. This left Athrun standing alone on the deck, wondering. _What is it they're fighting for? What do they fight _against

"Tough choice, isn't it?" Dearka commented, walking up.

"Dearka?"

"Your orders are to take that thing back, right?" the other pilot said with a smile. "This isn't gonna go over very well. We're ZAFT soldiers; if we keep intervening like this..."

Athrun frowned, fists clenching. "I don't want him to- I don't want _any_ of them to get hurt!"

Dearka's smile widened, and he clapped the blue-haired pilot's shoulder. "Now that is amazing; for the first time, we agree on something."

* * *

Kevin guided his powerful mobile suit out of the hanger, a buster rifle in either hand and anger in his heart. _I'll make you bastards regret what you've done. I'll make you wish you never even _thought_ of attacking my homeland!_

He jumped into the sky, verniers soon carrying the weight with ease. He was to use one of his advantages over the Strike Daggers once again: the ability to fly. _You guys don't stand a chance against me. This is one of the most powerful machines ever built, and yesterday you learned why. Now learn that lesson again._

(_You up, Snake?_) Kira called across their link.

(_Right here, tovarisch. Let's teach them not to mess with us._) Snake activated his targeting systems (he still was not using the Zero System, for fear of losing his mind) and started pumping azure beams into the advancing Daggers.

Nearby, the Wraith also emerged, beam scythe out and swinging. "C'mon! I'm ready for you!"

"We certainly are," Max agreed. "Let's get a piece of the action, Tolle!"

For once pilot and AI were in total agreement, and Tolle's machine joined Snake's in the desperate battle to defend Onogoro.

Meanwhile, Kira's Freedom was giving other Daggers fits; with his advanced targeting system working as efficiently as always, he did not hesitate to unleash his patented multi-beam attack, smashing multiple enemies at once.

To his friend's mild disgust, Kira was still disabling his enemies instead of destroying them, but even Kevin had to admit it got the job done. It just went against the grain to leave foes alive to fight another day.

Certainly the _machines_ wouldn't be fighting again; after pouring out a torrent of firepower in all directions, Kira got in close and went at it with a Lacerta, slicing off heads and arms and leaving general consternation in his wake. _Try this on for size!_

Snake grinned, picking up a hint of the thought, then turned his attention to his radar displays. "X131 Calamity, 252 Forbidden, 370 Raider. Them again." He cursed in Russian, then hit his radio. "Kira, those three loons from yesterday are back. I'm going to go welcome them. You with me?"

"You got it, Snake."

Together, Freedom and Stormhawk sliced across the sky above the open water, racing to meet the oncoming enemies. "It's two of the machines from yesterday!" Orga shouted. "Let's take 'em!"

"Kira, I'll take Calamity," Snake said coldly, seeing the flightless mobile suit atop the Raider. "I've decided I don't like its pilot."

"Roger that. Be careful, Snake." Freedom arced off to tangle with the Forbidden.

Snake switched frequencies then (he didn't really need a radio to talk to Kira anyway), to an Earth Forces channel that still resided within Stormhawk's memory. "Stormhawk calling Calamity. Are you ready to die?"

"_You'll_ be the one to die, whoever you are!" was Orga's irritable response.

"Sorry, but hell has no vacancies," Kevin replied, recalling that he had said the same thing to Dearka Elsman, on the way out of Orb. "Now's the time for _you_ to die, pal."

"I don't think so!" The Calamity fired its back-mounted beam cannons in an attempt to swat this blast from the past from the sky.

Snake had other ideas. He swooped to the side, his keenly analytical mind making up for the absence of the Zero System, and raised his buster rifles. With the advantage of his nuclear engine, he could pump out fire for as long as his buster rifles could take the abuse.

Which was, of course, far longer than the Calamity could remain powered, particularly given its rapid rate of (useless) fire.

Freedom, meanwhile, was busy trying to dodge attacks from Forbidden and Raider while simultaneously attacking. It was not the easiest task. _But if it was easy, they wouldn't need us, now would they?_

Soon, the enemy machines attempted to double-team Kira... only to have a beam boomerang smack the Forbidden, followed by a beam blast and a gun launcher attack.

Kira turned to see the Justice approaching at high speed, skimming the water. "Athrun...? But why?"

"Both of us completely understood what you meant," Athrun answered, speaking for himself and Dearka. "That when there are things in this world you want to protect, sometimes you have to fight for them!" Firing his own beam cannon, the red machine advanced. "Let's take 'em!"

Kira smiled. "You with us, Snake?"

"Right behind you, tovarisch." Stormhawk disengaged from his own battle and soared over to join his friends. He converted to mobile armor mode, deployed his plasma cannons, and opened fire with them, his buster rifles, and wing vulcans. "You bastards are gonna wish you were never born!"

Behind them, on the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Ramius called out orders. "Thirty to port! Aim Gottfrieds and fire!" Neumann and Sai carried out the orders, and shortly the remains of an Earth Forces destroyer were on their way to the bottom, having been blasted almost into thirds.

Snake grinned, spun sideways, and switched back to mobile suit mode. After a quick flying somersault to dodge the Raider's Mjollnir, he pulled out a beam saber and boosted straight at the X300 frame mobile suit. "How about I cut you down to size?"

"What the?" Clotho yelped as the blade swept down, severing the barrels of his arm-mounted railgun. "Bastard! I'm gonna-"

"Die." Stormhawk slammed a foot into the Raider's head, plunging him under water. "I've got no use for your kind, psychopath." With Clotho temporarily all washed up, Snake turned, sheathed his saber, and blasted off towards the Calamity.

The battle for Orb hung in seeming limbo at Onogoro, but the stalemate would not last.

* * *

Uzumi Nara Athha knew this well, and his own preparations were well underway when the tide began to turn. "We can't hold Onogoro much longer," a Cabinet member informed him. "Their forces are too strong." 

He sighed. "Yes, I know. We must buy time, however."

"Lord Uzumi," another official said, entering. "Preparations are complete. If we only had two more hours..."

"That's far too long," Athha said sharply. "Time is a luxury we no longer have." He sighed again. "Very well. I'll be there as well." He turned. "Signal the remaining forces to gather at Kaguya. We're abandoning Onogoro!"

"Yes, sir!"

Before long, the message had reached the _Archangel_. "We're to fall back?" Ramius repeated incredulously.

"Yes," Sai confirmed. "Representative Athha wants the _Archangel_ to retreat to Kaguya."

"Kaguya?" Neumann repeated.

"Kaguya is where Orb's mass driver facilities are located," Sai explained.

The Captain finally nodded. "Very well. Signal our mobile suits to withdraw as well. Tell them to follow us."

The mobile suits in question were, at that moment, quite busy; they had the Earth Alliance's three most advanced machines facing them, and if they weren't quite enough to _defeat_ the three Orb Gundams, they were enough to keep their battle a virtual stalemate.

"You're getting on my nerves," Snake muttered, flying at the Calamity. Both buster rifles were out, and he was doing his very best to blow it to its constituent atoms.

Kira, tangling with the Forbidden, was vaguely amused by his friend's antics; he gathered Kevin had a personal grudge against Orga Sabnak, though he was unsure why. _But then, Snake has a grudge against _everybody_, doesn't he?_

(_I heard that,_) Snake growled. (_Think quieter next time, okay? And no, I don't have a grudge against _everybody _I meet; just most of them. At least you can't accuse me of prejudice against Naturals; at least half of the people on my hit list are Coordinators._) He paused, taking a plasma-sabot shot on his shield. (_Kira, isn't there something strange about these guys? From the way they move..._)

(_They're not using Natural-adapted operating systems,_) Kira realized. Snapping off a shot at Shani, he keyed his radio. "Athrun, Snake and I think there's something weird about these guys. Any ideas?"

Athrun dodged a shot from the Raider. "ZAFT intelligence heard rumors about them," he answered through gritted teeth. "Something about 'biological CPUs'."

Snake cursed. "Those crazy bastards actually went and did, did they?"

"What are you talking about, Kevin?"

"Long story; I'll explain later."

Orga, at that moment, was happily blasting at everything in sight... until his guns fizzled and his console beeped at him. "What? You stupid mobile suit! You're out of power _already?"_

"It's because you're firing all over the place, you idiot!" Clotho snorted. "If you're going back, you'll have to do it yourself, loser!"

Raider was suddenly distracted when the Justice leapt out of the water. Before he could react, Athrun's paired sabers (effectively a beam staff) clove downward, slicing the Mjollnir spherical breaker in half.

"What the?" Clotho pulled back, shifting to mobile armor mode and racing away.

"_You're_ the idiot!" Orga said mockingly.

"Shut up, you-" The flame-haired pilot broke off as Calamity's weight slammed onto his machine. "Hey! Who said you could get on, freeloader?"

"Cut it out, idiot! We've gotta go back and recharge. Don't tell me you're not running on empty, too!"

With the retreat of the X100 and X300 frames, only the Forbidden was left. He triggered a plasma blast, guiding it with his magnetic field, at the Freedom. "Eat this."

Kira dodged easily, flipped upside-down, and fired his own plasma cannons, fully expecting them to be deflected by the X200 frame's infernal shields.

To his surprise, they weren't; the beams hit the Forbidden's subflight unit, startling the pilot, who glanced down at his displays. "What? No more...?" He glanced to his left, seeing his comrades fleeing.

The Freedom was not content with this. Kira rushed him, blocking a scythe attack in the process, and drew a beam saber. He slashed down, narrowly missing the rapidly retreating Shani.

Snake, watching them go, laughed and selected an open radio frequency. "And _that's_ what happens when you wear a UFO on your head!" he said with a chuckle (that was what the Forbidden's subflight unit looked like to him: a UFO).

Shani's response was not fit for polite (or any other) conversation.

* * *

Before long, Ramius, La Flaga, Neumann, and Dearka had met Athha and Cagalli in the control room at Kaguya; shortly they were joined by Kira, Athrun, and Snake, and the hurried conference began. 

"Leave Orb...?" Ramius said, eyes wide, after Athha had explained his plan. "Lord Uzumi, are you telling us to just run away?"

"Look around," the Representative advised. "We may be holding now, but Orb has already lost. It is only a matter of time now before it falls."

Cagalli looked at him sharply. "Wh-What are you saying, Father?"

"Our people have been evacuated; they will be taken care of elsewhere." He turned his head toward her. "From now on, _we_ will bear the responsibility."

It was clear that she didn't understand, but Snake's eyes suddenly narrowed. _Are you planning what I think you're planning?_

"The world is in a crisis," Athha told the _Archangel_'s captain. "The Atlantic Federation's actions are being guided by the head of Blue Cosmos, Muruta Azrael, now." At this Ramius nodded; Kevin's deductive instincts had been correct once again. "To make matters worse, the leader of ZAFT is someone who believes Coordinators to be a new species, for Patrick Zala rules them now."

Athrun's eyes dropped, and Kira and Dearka both looked at him in concern. Snake would have, but his attention was fixed on the Orb leader. "Yes," he said, knowing better than most (given his difficulties with both sides in the conflict) what Uzumi was leading up to.

Athha nodded. "Soon, the world will be caught between two sides that cannot tolerate each other's existence. Tell me, is this the future you wish to see? Take this small light of hope we have kindled, and use it to bring forth a better future, for us all. I realize this means a hard road for you again, but I'm sure you understand why it is necessary."

Ramius stood silently, absorbing it all, then looked at La Flaga. Her pilot boyfriend cocked his head, nodded, and smiled reassuringly.

She turned back to Uzumi. "That light may be small, but we believe in it as well. We will make it shine brightly."

Athha smiled. "I suggest you begin preparations immediately. We have little time."

"Yes, sir." The _Archangel_ officers filed out, followed shortly by the pilots (after Kira noticed an odd looked directed at him by Athha), and Cagalli.

Uzumi looked at Snake, who had lingered. "A moment, if you please, Baron."

He straightened from where he had been leaning against a wall. "My Lord?"

After making sure no one else was in earshot, the representative's face took on a somber expression. "I'm sure you, at least, understand what is about to happen. You know _what_ will happen."

Kevin nodded slowly. "You're not going to survive this, are you?"

"No." Athha sighed, searching for the words. "Baron, I once had my problems with you, first with your origins, then your influence on my daughter, and more recently your transformation into what you are today. But since you returned to Orb, I have seen how you've fought for your homeland, your friends, and my daughter. I realize you don't care a wit about the government, but I have seen that I... was wrong about you." The words were difficult, but they came; and once past them, he seemed to speak easier. "Therefore, I have a favor to ask of you, Kevin."

Uzumi's use of his given name -which had never happened before- combined with his statement, and Kevin nodded sharply. "Name it."

"Take care of my daughter. She will need you, Baron, to see her through this time and to keep her safe in the future." Athha managed a smile. "You have performed admirably as a bodyguard for her in the past, and I am sure you will be of great comfort to her when I am gone. I ask that you help her, Baron... and her brother."

Snake became as a statue for an instant. "Lord Uzumi... excuse me, but I have known Cagalli for my entire life, and I do not recall a brother. Am I... incorrect? Or has my memory hidden something else from me?" As often happened when forced into his old role, his speech patterns reverted to those of his birth.

"Your memory is not lying, Baron," Uzumi said with a more natural smile. "For Cagalli herself does not know, though I will tell her before the end. They were separated at birth, you see. Twins, who have never known each other... until now."

"Twins separated at birth..." Kevin mused. "How cliché. Of course, I can hardly talk. Pot, kettle, black?" His eyes narrowed. "So who is it?"

"You should not find it difficult to discern, Baron, unless you have suddenly become blind without mentioning it." Athha looked significantly at Snake's right eye, the bionic one. "You should have little difficulty seeing the resemblance, and if I recall the records correctly, your eye is capable of genetic scans. Do you not understand?"

Kevin thought furiously, mind outpacing time itself, or so it seemed. _Never met until now... I am supposed to have seen the resemblance... Of course._

He looked up. "Of course. Kira."

"Yes." Orb's leader (in fact if not in name) nodded. "I have not the time to explain everything, but in time you will doubtless discover it; I have learned to respect your instincts. This, however, is what I ask: that you be there for my daughter, and her brother, during this trying time. Protect her, the best you can."

Baron Kevin Walker drew himself to attention. "I swear, Lord Uzumi, that I will do this, that I will defend your daughter with my last breath," he said, lapsing into the oddly poetic phrasing he sometimes used (Cagalli thought it a result of his use of strange and unusual personas, sometimes influenced by books). "As long as I still live, my blade, my body, shall protect her."

Uzumi would have been amused had the situation been less dire. As it was, he merely nodded. "Thank you, Baron. Now, you should go and begin preparations yourself."

"Of course."

As Kevin left, Athha called after him one last time. "And Baron... I know you have denied that this would occur, but should anything ever come to pass between you and Cagalli... you have my blessing."

An odd look on his face, Snake nodded, and then he was gone.

* * *

Before long, preparations had begun for the _Archangel_ and the Orb carrier _Kusanagi_ to launch. The _Archangel_, of course, was not quite like anything else in the Orb fleet, which could have caused problems with the boosters, but the _Kusanagi_ shared many design features with the rogue ship, and thus its spare plasma boosters could be used. 

As this began, Kevin stood on the _Archangel_'s Bridge with Ramius and La Flaga. "I can't believe we're actually abandoning Orb," he murmured.

Ramius looked at him sympathetically. "It can't be easy, knowing that your homeland is about to be conquered. But Lord Uzumi is right, we can't let Orb's ideals die with it."

"I know," he acknowledged. "And we're fortunate that this is the _Archangel_ and not some other ship; I'd forgotten that there were some interchangeable parts between the _Archangel_ and _Izumo_-class carriers."

"Yes..." La Flaga said slowly. "Which reminds me, Snake. Back at Alaska, you said something about having written the _Archangel_'s software..."

Snake raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. Yes, Mu, I did; you see, a few years back, a little before my parents died, I did some work for Morgenroete. From Copernicus I did some software writing, and sent the finished product down to Onogoro; some of that work happened to be for the proposed _Archangel_-class carriers. I saw the specs, analyzed them, and wrote the computer code."

Mir turned in her chair. "So _that's_ how you were able to find your way around from the start. I always wondered about that."

He nodded. "Yes. Coordinators mature faster, and I faster than most, so despite my young age -which, in case you're wondering, _is_ precisely how it appears- I've done a great deal."

"We're fortunate to have you on our side, Snake," Ramius commented. The she glanced at him sidelong. "You... you _are_ leaving with us, right? You're not intending on sacrificing yourself or anything, no grand gesture of defiance?" Knowing her young comrade, she was genuinely concerned.

Kevin shook his head. "No, Murrue. I admit I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice my life for my homeland, but I would serve it better by observing the old adage 'He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day'. Besides... I swore to Lord Uzumi that I would protect Cagalli. I intended to do that anyway, but I take my oaths very seriously, tovarisch. Before, it was entirely possible I might do such a thing. Not now, and certainly not with Lord Uzumi preparing himself for death."

"She'll need you, huh?" For once La Flaga's voice was free of its usual teasing, innuendo-filled tone.

"Something like that, yeah."

* * *

Around then, Kira stood with Athrun and Dearka near their mobile suits, parked next to the _Archangel._ "There's no reason Carpentaria wouldn't allow us back," Dearka was saying to Athrun. "After all, we _have_ been fighting against the Earth Forces." 

"And you think that'll mean anything to them?" Snake said, walking up; he'd left the Bridge when the Morgenroete technicians had begun explaining the ship's launch procedure. Given his mobile suit's capabilities, it really wasn't relevant to him. "Think about it, mon ami: you've been protecting the 'legged ship', which, if I'm not mistaken, is still something ZAFT wants destroyed."

"Maybe so," the -former?- ZAFT pilot conceded. "On the other hand, you can't deny that you're biased. You're always ready to think the worst of ZAFT. Not without reason, to be sure." Dearka had been quite horrified when he learned just what had been done to his former enemy.

Athrun nodded absently, thinking of Lacus. "She called me a soldier of ZAFT," he murmured. "Huh. She knew all along what would happen."

Kira tilted his head. "Athrun...?"

"I always thought you were supposed to follow the orders of your nation and fight against the enemy with all your strength. I thought there was no other way of bringing the war to a quick end." Athrun met Kira's eyes. "But what is we should really be fighting against, and how exactly are we supposed to do that?"

Kira smiled. "You should come with us, Athrun." He looked from Athrun to Dearka and back. "We'll look for the answer to your question... together."

"I agree," Tolle said, stepping up. Since taking command of the Wraith, he'd taken to wearing a black flight suit, similar to Kevin's but with a Grim Reaper shoulder patch instead of a king cobra. Beneath it were the words "God of Death". "I fought for the Earth Alliance, too, but I never used to think about what I was fighting _against._ I knew what I fought _for_, but I didn't think to wonder who the enemy was."

"Don't leave me out!" another voice chimed in from a small speaker on Tolle's collar. "I may be just a battle computer, but _I_ want to know the answer, too!"

The five young pilots exchanged nods and smiles, and Dearka turned to Tolle. "So, _this_ is the AI Snake's been talking about. I'm Dearka Elsman."

"Max," the computer returned. "Pleased to meet you, Dearka. And pleased I wasn't around when you were the enemy."

"You think _you're_ glad of it?" Dearka laughed. "I wouldn't have wanted to face a mobile suit that could think for itself, thanks. Which reminds me," and he turned to Snake. "You used to drive me nuts, you know. How on earth did you always arrange to be somewhere else when somebody shot at you?"

The super-soldier half-smiled. "My mobile suit is clairvoyant." When Athrun and Dearka both gave him strange looks, he chuckled. "It's called the Zero System, a bizarre OS my father came up with when he designed the M1000. It feeds tactical data directly into the pilot's mind, effectively giving him three-sixty degree vision. More interestingly, however, is that it analyzes battle data and predicts the next few moments of battle, with surprising accuracy. That's how I managed to save Tolle, for example; and I've only had it slip up once. Resulted in a blown-up buster rifle and a scorched hand, but I survived." He grimaced. "But I haven't dared use it since that last battle with you two. You see, Athrun, when you self-destructed Aegis, it sent a power surge through my seat, nearly electrocuting me... and doing bad things to the Zero System. It nearly fried my brain, so I haven't risked it since, even though ZAFT theoretically fixed it. I'm _scared_ of that thing."

"That takes some doing," Athrun commented. "Hey, speaking of computers, didn't you say something about knowing what 'biological CPUs' are?"

"Guess I did, at that." Snake scowled. "A biological CPU is a concept I heard about during my ZAFT days. You take a Natural -or, I suppose, a Coordinator- and you augment him with built-in computer systems, mechanical enhancements to various portions of the body, then add treatments and conditioning to remove the subject's fear -_all_ fear- and a few other things. This gives the subject abilities equal to or possibly greater than a Coordinator's; and they're called 'biological CPUs', by the way, because they're considered equipment, not people."

"That sounds unpleasantly familiar..." Dearka said darkly.

Kevin nodded. "With reason, Dearka. I'm not entirely certain, but I have reason to believe the biological CPU concept is an outgrowth of Atlantic Federation intelligence reports of the Destroyers."

"There's more," Athrun put in. "They supposedly take something called 'gamma glipheptin', some sort of drug, apparently."

"Gamma glipheptin," the super-soldier repeated with a grimace. "Nasty stuff, that."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "You've heard of it?"

"I've _had_ it. It was one of the drugs used early in the Destroyer training cycle, but it was quickly abandoned." He shook his head. "Oracle was a madman, but not _that_ crazy. Gamma glipheptin enhances the user's reaction time and, to a certain extent, the speed of his neuroprocesses. The problem is that it's highly addictive, and you begin to suffer withdrawal symptoms the moment -no, the _instant_- the drug wears off. Those withdrawal symptoms are _extremely_ painful; I gather the general idea is to use that as an 'incentive' to remain loyal: stay, or we'll cut off your supply. Oracle didn't see the need for that kind of thing, though, because -except for me- they were all volunteers to begin with." Snake grimaced. "It took two weeks before our augmentation fully cleansed the stuff."

"Sounds like the reason for their abrupt departure yesterday," Max said, putting in her two cents. "It would explain the screaming, anyway."

"Muruta Azrael..." Snake murmured. "One day soon, I will kill him."

* * *

All those remaining at Kaguya knew it would not be long before the Earth Forces resumed their attack; thus it came as no surprise when the enemy-detection specialist called out a warning. "Incoming heat sources, identified as mobile suits!" 

"We knew it couldn't last," Athha whispered. "Ms. Ramius, please hurry up with the preparations!"

_"Preparations complete,"_ she answered from the_ Archangel. "We'll launch immediately. Kira?"_

Strapping into the Freedom's cockpit, Kira keyed his radio. "I'll cover your launch, _Archangel_. Please, hurry up. What about the _Kusanagi_?"

_"They're launching next,"_ Athha informed him.

To his left, Athrun powered up his Justice and keyed his own radio. "This is gonna be an aerial fight; the Buster's not equipped for it. Board the _Archangel,_ Dearka!"

Dearka clenched his teeth, but for the first time in living memory, it was not because of _who_ was giving him orders. It was just that the orders, however correct, weren't ones he wanted to hear just then. But he did it anyway. "Hey, Snake," he called as he put his machine into motion. "Where are you going?"

The sandy-haired pilot was heading into the mass driver facilities, plasma rifle slung on his back. _"I've got something to take care of, mon ami. Don't worry, I won't be late."_

"Better not be." Dearka shook his head. _I never thought I'd be ordered to _board_ the 'legged ship'. Has the world turned _completely_ upside-down?_

With the Buster aboard, Ramius looked over at Neumann. "Fire engines; once we're aloft, set them to maximum cruising speed and raise bow pitch angle twenty degrees. Charge the Lohengrin and prepare to fire."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Slowly, the _Archangel_ began to lift from the ground, taking to the sky on its way back into space. As her majestic bow pointed skyward, her engines fired at full capacity, propelling ship ever higher, approaching the altitude at which she would begin the next phase of her launch.

Athrun was the first to notice the incoming threat. "Here they come, Kira!"

The Freedom, looking down at Kaguya, activated its radio. "Please, hurry up with the launch!"

Preparations redoubled on the ground, and Ramius gave the order on her Bridge. "Fire!"

The _Archangel_'s mighty Lohengrin positron cannons fired for the first time since their frantic escape from the Le Creuset team near Artemis, some months before. And the two beams intersected hundreds of meters beyond the ship... and so created the positronic interference effect that would help the ship attain escape velocity, even as the plasma boosters ignited.

_Archangel_ was now beyond the reach of the puny gnats that tried to halt her passage into the sky.

Behind, two pilots continued to stand between her and the enemy; below, the man known as Snake ran into the mass driver facilities, to see Lord Uzumi Nara Athha one last time, and see his friend Cagalli Yula Athha onto the _Kusanagi_.

* * *

Snake entered the chamber with the mass driver's starting point just behind Athha and his daughter. _I guess I'm right on time._

Kisaka was waiting at the _Kusanagi_'s airlock, and Athha shoved Cagalli toward him. "Go, Kisaka! And take my foolish daughter with you!"

"Father, no!" she protested, tears in her eyes. She did not appear to notice Kevin's presence.

Athha laid a hand on his daughter's head. "Stop giving me that look," he said gently. "It doesn't suit a child of the line of Orb." He removed the hand, and reached into a pocket. "You may be leaving your father, but you will not be alone." He handed her the photograph he withdrew. "You will be with your brother."

Uncomprehending, Cagalli stared at the picture, of her mother holding two babies, one brown haired, the other blond. _What...?_

Then she turned it over and saw the two names written on the back: Kira and Cagalli.

Cagalli stared at her father in utter shock. Before she could get out a word, though, he stepped back. "I consider it a great honor... to have been your father." The hatch sealed between them, and the walkway Athha stood upon began to retract. "Fly, Kisaka!" he shouted after them. "I'm counting on you!"

The _Kusanagi_ began to slowly accelerate on the mass driver's rails, and Snake stepped forward. "So this is goodbye, Lord Uzumi."

Uzumi turned. "Yes, Baron. I wish it could be different, but we all have our parts to play." He shook Kevin's hand. "It was an honor to have known you."

"Likewise, sir." He inclined his head. "Till we meet again, in the next life."

Athha smiled slightly. "You are an optimist, Baron."

"No; I am one who speaks from experience." Snake smiled enigmatically. "I have been there, Lord Uzumi, and there is more than darkness... beyond the final veil of death."

"Perhaps so. Now, you had best get going yourself."

"Right." Without hesitation, Kevin snatched his rifle from his back, snapped it to his shoulder, and fired a blast at the wall. Since the facilities would soon be destroyed anyway, there was no reason for him not to blast a shortcut to his mobile suit.

Ice in his eyes, thunder in his mind, and the fires of vengeance burning hot in his heart, he leapt through the smoldering hole and toward his Fate.

* * *

Kira looked down in relief when the Stormhawk flashed into sight, rising fast. "Kevin! I was starting to think you wouldn't make it." 

"Never doubt me, tovarisch." Eyes frozen jade, Snake glanced down at the _Kusanagi._ "Kira, Athrun..."

"Right," Athrun acknowledged. The Freedom and Justice abandoned the fight, turning their backs on Calamity, Forbidden, and Raider as they raced to catch up with the racing spaceship. It was their ticket into space, the only way for them to achieve escape velocity.

MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke covered them, its pilot intent on doing as much damage as he could before he left. Flying backwards, pacing his friends' desperate flight, he fired shot after shot into the attackers. "Hurry!"

Grunting, Kira threw the Freedom's hand forward, successfully grabbing hold of the _Kusanagi_'s hull. After pulling himself aboard, he extended his hand to the Justice, still struggling to catch up with the still-accelerating ship.

Athrun began to fall back, and they both yelled wordlessly as he shunted all available power, even life support, into his verniers. Slowly, slowly, the Justice gained ground, and finally the two machines locked hands. Kira pulled his friend onto the ship, exchanged relieved looks with Athrun over the com, and looked back at the Stormhawk. "Snake...?"

Athrun, too, looked back. "Kevin, hurry! There's no time!"

"Forget it!" Kevin, seeing his friends safely on their way up, had one more thing to take care of. "Where's Tolle?"

"Wraith is aboard _Archangel_; he's fine. Now, hurry!"

"Not until these bastards have paid _my_ price for the conquest of my homeland!" He charged right back into the melee, aiming directly at the fleet of Earth Alliance ships. _"I'll kill you all!"_

Kira gasped as a familiar sensation came to him across their link. For the first time in years, Kevin had just entered the Berserker state completely on his own, and the Freedom's pilot could sense that he had also activated the Zero System.

Baron Kevin Onishi meant business.

"Is he out of his mind?" Athrun demanded. "He'll never make it!"

Kira shook his head. "Stormhawk doesn't need a ship or a mass diver to get to space; in mobile armor mode he can enter and leave the atmosphere at will. I don't know what he's up to now, though."

Muruta Azrael leaned forward on his bridge as the winged mobile suit flashed straight at his forces. "Well, well. Seems someone has a death wish. Let's oblige him, shall we?"

* * *

Back at Kaguya, Uzumi Nara Athha saw the _Kusanagi_ heading safely into space. "The seeds have flown. We've succeeded!" he told his fellow Cabinet members. Then he reached down, turned a dial, and pressed a red button. "We can't leave Orb, or this world, in the hands of those monsters..." 

Azrael's eyes snapped wide in horror and frustration as the mass driver and Morgenroete began to explode, taking with them everything he had come here to obtain. "No!"

And against the backdrop of fire, the Snake charged forward. The compartments on his machine's shoulders opened, and Stormhawk's hands gripped his beam sabers. _"Muruta Azrael! You have defeated my home, and you have forced us into exile, but you will pay my price, and I swear that if it takes me a thousand years, every one of you is dead!"_

Azrael winced at the sheer volume of the enraged cry, and then winced again as he saw for the first time an augmented Berserker in full cry.

Block, parry, destroy. Stormhawk flew straight through everything thrown at it, hacking apart the fighters and mobile suits sent to engage it. He sliced with one mighty hand, and a ship went to the bottom, cut in half. The beam sabers disappeared, and the buster rifles opened up, blasting everything in sight.

"Order the new machines to engage him!" Blue Cosmos' leader snapped. "Kill him!"

First came Raider, with Calamity atop; Stormhawk did not even pause. He rolled on his back, flying backwards, and fired both rifles point-blank into the Calamity. It was blown backwards, Scylla destroyed and beams cannons simply gone; an instant later, Raider took a similar hit and plowed into the sea. Not destroyed, but definitely out of the fight.

Shani was next up, using his shields to deflect the azure beams. This merely resulted in a slight change of tactics, as the beam sabers reappeared. Stormhawk slipped beneath the Forbidden, was hidden from sight, and a moment later emerged, while Shani's machine dropped, both legs severed at the knees and verniers out of commission.

Azrael's eyes widened as the Stormhawk suddenly hovered directly in front of his bridge, wings spread. "Muruta Azrael," Snake transmitted, eyes normal again... aside from their frozen quality. "I could kill you right now," he said coldly, "but I have certain obligations that prevent me from taking that risk at this time. Know, though, that I will have my revenge; for my homeland, for my parents, and for Lord Uzumi. I swear this, on the graves of those who have fallen in Orb's defense. Know that one whose parents you killed years ago, one whom you hoped to destroy that day as well, and one whom you hunted for years under another name has returned, and he will not rest until those who have taken his homeland are dead."

"Hmm... I wonder who that could be..." Azrael murmured. "There are several people who meet those criteria; though I think most of them are dead..."

Stormhawk turned in the air, raised both buster rifles, and snapped them together. A moment later, the beam cannon's three-hundred-meter-diameter blast blazed across the Earth Forces fleet, blasting several more ships into oblivion. "That fate awaits you, Muruta," Snake said softly, and cut the transmission.

Sturm Falke, untouched by the largely stunned enemy forces, converted to mobile armor mode and shot straight up, climbing for space, and a rendezvous with the last handful of people who meant anything to him.

* * *

Author's note: The Battle of Orb is over; the Earth Forces have won. Now Kevin Walker's homeland has been overtaken… and they will learn the price of making him angry. 

Mr. N/A, I assume you're the one who complained about the Customs before; and I must one again say that we have a difference of opinion. Your words will not sway me (particularly since you don't seem to have much to say).

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I'm a little puzzled as to why you might think Cagalli would end up with the Deathscythe; after all, she gets the Strike Rouge later on, anyway. I saw no reason to change that.

Thanks for the Destiny information; after what you said last time, I thought it might be something like that. I see no reason to change that, either, however; given what I have heard of Shinn Asuka, I expect he and Kevin will clash often enough over other matters.

I think you may have misunderstood me last chapter, by the way; I'm well aware that Flay was captured at Alaska. What I meant was that the _story_ will be proceeding on that assumption.

Hawk, you have probably noticed that I update frequently, and I have no intention of slowing my pace; so fear not, new chapters will almost always come quickly (I say almost because of site downtime and the like.) As to your other comment, it doesn't really matter anyway; I see no reason -or place- to introduce other extra-series machines.

Daniel Lynx, I quite agree on the subject of BuCUEs and ZnOs; they tend to drive me insane, especially with the ZnO's grabbing habits.

Max the AI will turn up fairly frequently, by the way; Tolle _does_ need a keeper, and a sarcastic one makes things more… interesting.

As for Flay, I will merely reiterate that I have something very spectacular in mind.

Zack M, I'm glad you approve of having Tolle flying the Deathscythe, but I must admit the similarity to Duo's name never occurred to me. I merely remembered another female AI named Max I'd run across, and liked the idea. Pretty tortured acronym there, though, eh?

As for your complaint, I should mention that I've known people _without_ grudges against the world who talk like that. It's hardly unrealistic, believe me.

You're right about it taking a departure from the series; it won't be too long before I _really_ change things.

NukeDawg, I am aware of the Deathscythe's full name; it just means little in this context. Glad to see you're still reading it, though.

RVD, I'm glad you like Max; she seems to be a popular new addition.

Now, Shinji Ikari… I _did_ say that I was going to explain it, didn't I? I still think you're making mountains out of molehills, but I _will_ be doing it.

I'm at a loss to explain the differences between what we heard in the episodes; I suppose it's _possible_ the sound quality on my tape is bad, but… Well, it doesn't matter much, anyway.

When it comes to the Justice self-destructing, I'll grant there isn't any explicit info disproving your theory; on the other hand, if it had a nuclear bomb in it I think they'd have said so. No, it's far more likely to me that they were referring to the reactor -especially given how much they prate on the subject- which means they simply made a mistake. If you disagree, fine; that's your choice. But if that's the case, I just don't think we're going to agree on this subject.

I have this to say about the lack of explanation for the hyper jammers: we _are_ dealing with science fiction here. Seems to me that you can't really explain how things that haven't been invented yet work.

I think we're not going to agree on the matter of Kira not protesting the copying of the N-jammer canceller. It's my position that Kira would trust Kevin to do the right thing, but you are entitled to your opinion.

Now, my thought about Athrun's connection -or lack thereof- to Project ABADDON was less a matter of knowledge to Kevin at that point, and more a matter of guilt by association. Remember, a lot of why he was angry with Athrun was the simple fact that he was with ZAFT.

You may have a point about contrivance near the end; then again, you might not. It will take some thought.

Finally, about Tolle… That's another point where I simply don't think we're going to agree. In the matter of his awakening, I think I handled it adequately; and as to his lack of change in attitude, my position is that, after spending over a month unconscious, the experience of being knocked out of the sky would seem more like a bad dream than anything else. I really don't think it would be _that_ great a source of trauma. Maybe I'm wrong, but again, I don't think we're going to agree.

That should be everything. Read and review, please. -Solid Shark


	28. Chapter 28: Into the Endless Sky

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Jack Carter, Invictus, and Max

* * *

The MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke exited the Earth's atmosphere like a great bird of prey, wings extended in mobile armor mode and face hidden by the "beak" of its shield. 

Kevin Walker, alias the Snake, commanded his powerful machine to return to its usual, equally-menacing mobile suit form, even as he guided it toward the waiting carriers above: _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_. While the latter was still linking up with its separate components, he keyed his radio and opened a link with the _Archangel_. "Snake to _Archangel_, do you read me?"

Murrue Ramius' face instantly appeared in his cockpit, within a holographic screen produced by the machine's highly advanced communications system. _"Loud and clear, Snake. It's a relief to see you; we were starting to think you'd gone and blown yourself up down there."_

Kevin managed a smile. "Sorry, not today. But I felt obligated to make those bastards _feel_ it."

_"I'm sure,"_ Ramius said softly, an understanding look on her face. Many thought that the Snake cared little for anything but his own survival, but those who had fought by his side knew differently, knew the pain he must be feeling now that his homeland had been conquered by the Earth Alliance._ "Are you coming aboard, Snake?"_

He shook his head. "Not yet. I... need to be on the _Kusanagi_ right now."

She nodded. _"I understand. Do what you have to do, Kevin."_ Everyone on the _Archangel_ knew by now that Kevin Walker had in fact been born Kevin Onishi, Baron of one of Orb's five noble families, and a close friend of the princess Cagalli Yula Athha; as she had just lost her father as well as her homeland, it was to be expected that he would want to be by her side.

"I'll rendezvous with you later, Murrue." Kevin switched frequencies. "Kira, Athrun, you guys read me?"

"Right here, Snake," Kira replied, his Freedom settling into formation on Stormhawk's right.

"Me, too," Athrun added, Justice moving to Snake's left. "Quite the thermal signatures we picked up there," he went on. "Just what did you do?"

"Blew up everything within reach," Kevin said simply. "Wanted to take Azrael, too, but I couldn't take the risk." His eyes narrowed dangerously, turning to jade ice. "One day, Muruta Azrael will pay. But first, I have a friend to see to." His features softened. "Any word on how Cagalli's doing?"

Kira shook his head. "Not yet. I guess we'll just have to see for ourselves." As he spoke, the three mobile suits floated into the _Kusanagi_'s hanger.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mir had finally found the time to berate Tolle for his -in her opinion- reckless actions. 

"Were you out of your mind?" she demanded of him, in the _Archangel_'s crew quarters. "You could have been killed! You'd never even _flown_ a mobile suit before, you-!"

"Hey, hey," Tolle said, hands raised, trying to placate her. "It wasn't _that_ dangerous, Mir; Wraith has the new PSA, cloaking, and deflectors. I was perfectly-"

"Don't say you were safe!" she yelled, shoving him against the wall. "Phase-shift doesn't do _anything_ against energy weapons, and you know it! That was _very_ dangerous!"

"She's right, you know," a wall speaker said. "It was bad enough when you took that Skygrasper against the Aegis; at least you'd flown in a simulator before. What you did out there was completely _insane."_

"Keep out of this, Max," Tolle said sullenly. "You're not helping."

"Wasn't trying to," the AI said cheerfully.

That broke the tension. "You're really... okay?" Mir whispered. "I don't want to lose you again."

He smiled. "I'll be fine, Mir. Besides, the battles are over for now, right? Let's just relax for now; let the officers figure out what to do next." He pulled her into an embrace.

Max the computer discretely withdrew her electronic essence from the compartment, and went looking for other kinds of trouble. _Hmm... _the AI thought, scarcely noticing how human-like her thought processes were (though they were, of course, much faster). _Methinks I should jack into the _Kusanagi_, see how Snake and his girlfriend are doing._ She snickered to herself. _Of course, if I called her that, Snake would erase me. But it's true, isn't? No matter what they might pretend to each other... and themselves._

Then her flawless memory recalled the recent death of Uzumi Nara Athha, and the conquest of Orb. _I'm betting neither of 'em is feeling too great just now,_ she thought soberly. Definitely_ better go check on them._

Manipulating other computers with ease, Max hacked into the _Archangel_'s radio and plugged herself into _Kusanagi_'s computer network.

* * *

After leaving their mobile suits behind in the hanger, the three pilots took the time to change out of their flight suits; Kira into his usual blue uniform, Athrun into a Morgenroete outfit, and Kevin into an anachronistic ensemble that he had not worn in some years. Black boots, trousers, shirt, scaled gloves, and tunic, with a black cloak lined with crimson, clasped on the left side of his chest with a pin in the shape of a crimson dragon rampant; his old rapier, with black scabbard, completed the outfit. 

While Kevin walked alongside them, Athrun glanced curiously at him. "What's with the noble costume, Kevin? I thought..."

Snake quirked his mouth. "I'm through hiding from the past, Athrun. It's time I wore my proper colors again. Besides, it just wouldn't do for me not to uphold the Onishi tradition of being very strange; not that I intend to make a habit of wearing it." Evidently the clothing was a private joke; it lightened their moods for a moment, before the reality of recent events came crashing down on them once more as they reached a certain hatch.

One of those recent events, of course, was Kevin's last assault on the Atlantic Federation fleet. Kira and Athrun might have been a little disturbed by it -after all, they were trying to _stop_ wholesale massacres- but Kira had seen, through their psychic link, the final moments; and Athrun knew Kevin well enough to know how he must have been feeling just then.

At last, Kira pressed an intercom button next to the hatch controls. "Cagalli?" There was no answer, so he opened the hatch and entered anyway.

Cagalli was seated on her bunk, still in uniform; tears were in her eyes, and she did not look up as Kira and Kevin entered (Athrun coming only as far as the hatch behind them, watching silently).

"Cagalli..." Kira said again; and this time she took note of it. She looked up at him silently, then pushed off toward him, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed.

Not knowing what to say, Kira simply put an arm around her, his other hand lightly stroking her hair. As he did so, Kevin stood impassively nearby, inwardly swearing viciously at himself. _Solkin syn! I should have been able to do _something_! Designed from birth to be a soldier, there ought to have been a way to prevent this! Instead, I can do nothing but stand here, watching the one person who means everything to me go through this!_

He was not accustomed to feeling helpless (indeed, he was far more accustomed to simply shooting at problems until they Went Away), and it was made far worse by the fact that this girl was not merely his best friend, the friend he'd known all his life. No, Cagalli Yula Athha was also the girl Kevin Walker loved, though he had only ever admitted that to one person. He would never admit it to her, never act on it, because he had long ago learned the painful lessons of what happened to those whom he allowed that close; but he had sworn, to Lord Uzumi Nara Athha and, long ago, himself, that he would protect her... but this was something he could not affect.

Kevin knew it was irrational, but he blamed himself, and hated himself for it. That Cagalli herself would have berated him for it never even entered his head. He knew only that she was in pain, and he was helpless to do anything about it.

He did not realize his mere presence was enough.

* * *

Elsewhere aboard the Orb carrier, Ramius and La Flaga had arrived and were following Ledonir Kisaka, _Kusanagi_'s CO and, at least formerly, Cagalli's bodyguard, toward the ship's Bridge. 

"I see," La Flaga said appreciatively, drifting down the corridor. "The ship consists of five sections, and the crew travels between them via the central area. Very efficient."

Kisaka shrugged. "The _Kusanagi_ was originally used to maintain contact with Heliopolis. It's fairly well-armed, and I suppose it's a capable enough mobile suit transport, but it's nowhere near _Archangel_'s league."

They came through a hatch onto the Bridge, and Ramius raised her eyebrows; it looked very familiar. "This is just like the _Archangel_'s."

Kisaka halted next to the fire control/ communications stations. "Or more accurately, the _Archangel_'s is just like this," he said with a smile, reminding them that the _Izumo_-class came first. "After all, they were both built by Morgenroete." He looked down at one of the stations toward the starboard bow. "Can you bring me up a map of this region of space?."

"Coming right up," the woman in the Morgenroete uniform answered.

La Flaga raised an eyebrow. "Chief Erica Simmons; fancy meeting you here."

"Nice to see you too, Commander," Simmons replied with a smile. "You're using M1s in the unfamiliar environment of space. How would you guys ever manage without me?" She tapped keys, bringing up the desired map.

Kisaka turned to the display. "As you can see, Artemis is at L3, while the PLANTs are at L5..."

Deeper in the ship, Cagalli floated in a curtained-off alcove, drying her face with a towel. As she did so, she noticed the photograph her father had given her drifting past, and she caught it, examining again the mysteries Uzumi had left her with. A photo of a woman holding two babies, one brown-haired, the other blond... and on the reverse, the names Kira and Cagalli.

"Cagalli? Are you okay?" Kira called softly.

"Yeah; I'll be right there." She tucked the photo into a pocket and drew the curtain open; outside, the three pilots waited for her. Cagalli quickly took note of Kevin's non-expression as he stood near the hatch, and she frowned inwardly. Even Kira and Athrun were unable to read Snake when he was in that kind of mood, but she could, and she could tell he was blaming himself for the events in Orb.

_I'll have to talk to him about that, the idiot,_ she thought fondly; as always, her old friend's presence cheered her for some obscure reason.

Kevin, for his part, was unsure of what to say. He'd never been in the position of speaking with someone who'd just lost her father, except for Flay Allster... whom he'd threatened to kill more than once. So he simply settled for, "Hi, tovarisch."

Cagalli took a deep breath, and managed a small smile. "Hi, Kevin." She turned to the hatch. "I guess we'd better go to the Bridge."

* * *

"I suggest we set course for the L4 colonies," Kisaka said, indicating them on the display. 

"L4?" La Flaga repeated.

"Neither the _Archangel_ nor the _Kusanagi_ will need to worry about supplies for awhile, but it won't last forever," the bigger man pointed out. "Water in particular will start to be a problem fairly soon. The colonies were damaged and abandoned soon after the war began, but they'll serve admirably for water supplies."

"That sounds awfully familiar," Ramius said, remembering the _last_ time they'd gone scavenging for supplies.

"Don't worry," La Flaga said reassuringly. "This is different from Junius Seven."

As they were speaking, Kira, Athrun, and Cagalli had entered, Kevin behind them... still wearing anachronistic clothing.

The sight was just strange enough to get La Flaga's attention. "Snake, have you turned into a vampire or something?"

Kevin glanced at him curiously. "No, Mu," he said, seemingly puzzled.

"Then _why_ are you dressed like one?" La Flaga asked with exaggerated patience.

"Habit, Mu," he replied. "I could never let people get a real fix on how I normally behaved, lest they notice a pattern and track me down."

"Besides," Kira put in, "he wouldn't let us down and actually act _normal_, now would he?"

"He's got a point there," Athrun agreed. The former ZAFT pilot then took a closer look at the space map. "You know," he began, "I'm pretty sure some of the colonies at L4 are still viable." When all eyes turned to him, he shrugged. "ZAFT investigated the area after receiving reports of a suspicious group holed up there. This _was_ quite a long time ago, but while no one really lives there anymore, there _should_ still be functioning facilities on some of the colonies."

"That sounds perfect for us," Kira said after a moment's consideration.

"Yes..." La Flaga said slowly, voice ambivalent. The reason became clear when he turned to look directly at Athrun. "But there's one question: are _you_ okay with this?" His blue eyes narrowed. "And this question's not just for you; it's also for that other guy from ZAFT, as well."

"Commander?" Ramius inquired, wondering where this was going.

"I saw how you fought in Orb, and your actions speak for themselves," the pilot granted. "But I can't help noticing the uniforms you're still wearing."

Kevin cocked his head and looked from Athrun's Morgenroete outfit to La Flaga's Earth Forces uniform. "Excuse me, Mu," he interjected smoothly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't look like a ZAFT uniform to me." The Hawk began to speak, but he continued, "And is that or is that not an Earth Forces uniform _you're_ wearing?" The older man closed his mouth, a grudging look on his face, and Snake smiled slightly. "Pot, kettle, black?"

"I'll grant you that," La Flaga acknowledged finally. "But still, depending on how things turn out there's a good chance we'll end up fighting against ZAFT forces. It won't be like Orb at all." His eyes locked on Athrun's. "Are you ready? _Really_ ready? After all, you _are_ Patrick Zala's son, right?"

"What does it matter to _you_ whose son he is?" Cagalli snapped; Snake, curiously, was silent; possibly because he understood the matter better than his friend did. "Athrun is his-"

"For a soldier to desert his army is a much more serious matter than you seem to think," La Flaga told her harshly. "Unlike Kira, he's a regular member of the ZAFT military! You have to believe in your nation's cause in order to fight for it, and it's much more complicated when you turn that belief on its head. Now imagine if your father were the _leader_ of that nation." His jaw set, and he stared right at Athrun. "I hate to force the issue, but can I count on you if we fight together? Well? _Can I?"_

There was silence on the Bridge for a time, and then Athrun began to speak, trying to put his thoughts into words. "When I was in Orb," he began slowly, "no, even before that, in the PLANTs and on Earth, I thought about a lot things, like what it is right and what is wrong, what am I understanding, and what am I not. I don't have the answers to these basic questions yet... but I can already tell that all of you have the same hopes for this world that I do." He met La Flaga's eyes levelly. "And that's what I'm feeling right now."

La Flaga turned his gaze toward Snake's impassive visage. "And what do _you_ think, oh professional paranoid?"

Kevin let him wait a moment, then said one word. "Tovarisch."

Kisaka looked blank for a moment (he hadn't known the super-soldier anywhere near as long as the rest of them), and Kira hastened to explain. "That's what he calls those he trusts the most."

La Flaga smiled and looked back at Athrun. "You sound like a pretty determined fellow; nothing like our Kira here."

Kira looked startled for a moment, then looked back at Athrun with a smile of his own. "Since we were little."

"You know, it's a huge responsibility Orb has entrusted us with," Mu said thoughtfully.

"Yes, it is," Ramius agreed.

"And we're only two ships; honestly, our task may be impossible." He looked at Athrun again. "And you're still okay with this?"

Kira was the one who replied. "A strong light may be small, but it won't go out. We have faith."

There was general agreement on that; and Athrun looked thoughtful. "You know, there are those in the PLANTs who feel the same way."

"Lacus?" Kira guessed.

"Yeah."

"That singer," La Flaga mused. "The pink princess."

"She's Athrun's fiancé," Kira commented; the news surprised Cagalli, who hadn't heard it before.

"They're hunting for her right now," Athrun said moodily. "She was declared a traitor... by my father."

"Hope she's okay," Mu said sympathetically. Then a memory, half-forgotten, came to mind. "Hey, Snake, there's something I've always wondered about. You said you'd known that girl longer even than you'd known Kira, but you didn't say exactly how."

"Yeah," Cagalli concurred. "You said you were staying with the Clynes when your parents died, but that was before Siegel Clyne was elected Chairman. So why them?"

As she spoke, the hatch opened again to admit Frank Castile, Kevin's super-spy cousin. "There is, of course, a reason for it, my dear. Do you want to tell them, or shall I, Cousin?"

"Button it, Frank," was Snake's succinct reply. "I guess I never got around to mentioning it, did I?" he went on, apparently now oblivious to Castile's presence. "Well, Lacus always was a favored cousin of mine, you know."

Utter silence (though Kira looked amused; he already knew, after all).

La Flaga was the first to find his voice. "Uh, you _are_ speaking metaphorically, right?"

"Not at all, Mu." Kevin looked sober for an instant. "My mother, you see, was Scandinavian."

It took but a moment for those present to recall that Siegel Clyne was born in the Kingdom of Scandinavia. "You mean...?" Cagalli began. Even she didn't know all the ins and outs of Onishi genealogy.

"Yes," he confirmed. "My mother was Siegel Clyne's sister." He noticed Athrun's poleaxed looked and grinned. "What, she never told you? If this engagement thing had gone through, Athrun, you'd have ended up as one of my in-laws."

La Flaga stared at the younger man, more startled by this revelation than any other besides that of his augmentation and noble blood. "Let me get this straight," he said finally. "You're the head of one of the five noble families of Orb, and you're the _nephew_ of the former Chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council?"

Kevin nodded complacently. "Yup."

"Relatives in high orbits," Castile put in, slipping into his Bond persona.

Snake's reply to this comment was short, sharp, and had way too many consonants. Most of those present had no idea what the Russian words meant, but Cagalli looked taken aback (she'd been unable to avoid acquiring a working knowledge of conversational Russian, given her friend's frequent usage of it) and Castile actually turned green.

Moments later, as the greenish blur left the Bridge, Ramius quirked an eyebrow at the super-soldier. "What did you _say_ to him?"

"You don't want to know," Cagalli said quickly, sending Kevin a quelling look (he had, after all, been quite willing to explain). "You really, _really_ don't want to know."

* * *

Later, Kevin wandered the _Kusanagi_, feeling more disturbed than he looked. Their destination had struck a nerve in him, and he wished he could talk with Cagalli. But he judged that she probably wanted to be alone just then, so he settled for simply roaming little-used corridors, using his zoanthrope empathic senses to avoid others until he reached the chamber he sought. 

It was essentially just an observation room, a place Kevin remembered from studying the blueprints for the _Izumo_-class and correctly anticipated would be empty, since the ship's crew was quite busy just getting everything shipshape.

It was, all in all, a perfect place from which to stargaze and think. _The L4 colonies... I should have known. Will we reach Mendel? Will that tell me if my memories are right, that I _was_ responsible for the events at double-Sierra two niner?_

Snake felt a twinge at the edge of his consciousness, and he turned toward the hatch several moments before Athrun stepped through. "Hello, Athrun."

"Hi, Kevin." Athrun raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess: you knew I was coming."

"Your presence has a distinctive feel," Kevin acknowledged. "So, what brings you to an out of the way place like this?" He was, as it happened, grateful for the distraction; he no longer had the self-destructive urge, but he still tended to become moody when given too much time to think.

"Figured now might be a good time to catch up on things. I mean, aside from a few attempts to kill each other and that brief meeting on that island, we haven't seen each other in three and a half years." The blue-haired pilot smiled. "And even back then, I wasn't exactly aware of who you really were."

"Huh. Yeah." Snake gazed out into space. "You know, Athrun, in a way that makes two of us. _I'm_ not really sure who I am, either." He looked at Athrun through the corner of his eye. "By now, you've probably heard about my somewhat... strange background."

"Yeah; they tell me you were designed to be a soldier from before you were born," Athrun agreed. "And I knew about the rest of it. But I thought you had it all sorted out."

"Not exactly." Kevin (who had by this time resumed his normal black civilian attire, having made his point with the finery) leaned against the bulkhead. "I know _who_ I am, to be sure; but I'm still not precisely certain _what_."

Athrun frowned for a moment, then began to recall small incidents that had puzzled him since he had joined Kira and Kevin at Orb. Times when the Freedom and Stormhawk had seemingly coordinated without any contact, times when the two had seemed to exchange information without a word. At first he'd simply assumed it came from knowing each other so well, but Snake's last comment changed that. "You've been holding out on me, haven't you?"

"Not precisely," Snake corrected. "More like there simply hasn't been time to mention it. Since there is now, and since you're on our side these days, you should know: my empathic sense has... evolved somewhat, since the days back at school."

That was about what he'd expected to hear. "You mean you're telepathic?"

"In a very limited sense, yes. Kira and I can communicate mentally, and we can feel each other's emotions. Could ever since a little skirmish just before reaching the Eighth Fleet, back in February." Kevin shrugged. "At first, it was just a dim sense of emotion, and Kira didn't realize it at all. But it's been getting stronger, and ever since you blew Aegis to bits we've been capable of true communication."

Athrun felt a cold tingle go down his spine at the prospect, though intellectually he knew Kevin better than that. "So can you read _my_ mind?"

Snake firmly shook his head. "No. Even with Kira, I can only hear the thoughts if they're directed at me, or if they're particularly 'loud'. Other than that, I can feel only his emotions... though I've noticed that that, too, has begun to strengthen of late. I'm beginning to get a dim sense of the feelings of those around me, though the range is considerably shorter than my other abilities. I don't know what tomorrow may bring."

Athrun frowned again. "Still getting stronger? Kevin, I thought that it was your zoanthrope powers..."

"So did I; and to a certain extant I still believe that to be the case. But what you have to understand is that my mental talents are still in a state of flux; and I suspect that might have been the case even without the various enhancements I've received over the years." Kevin closed his eyes, thinking. "Athrun, you probably know this already, but the augmentation process boosted more than just my physical senses. It improved my mental processes, as well... and the results are impossible to predict, because my mind doesn't work the same way yours does."

The other pilot tilted his head. "The genetic engineering...?"

"Right." Snake sighed. "Athrun, I make no secret of the fact that I'm not very fond of my father. Before I was even born, he decided to use me and my brother for an experiment. He had the best of intentions, but you know the old saying about the road to hell. What John Tyler Onishi did was make a cold-blooded decision to make his own offspring into purpose-built soldiers. We were to be Orb's ace-in-the-hole, so he applied his design talents to _genetic_ engineering... and the result is that parts of my genetic code literally _cannot_ be analyzed. Orb's scientists, when they finally got the chance to examine me, where completely at a loss about parts of it; it's light-years beyond what anyone else has ever done. And one of those areas happens to be my brain. It is physically different from any other sentient being."

Athrun noted the phrasing. "Kevin, are you human?"

"Technically... no." He seemed quite cheerful about the statement, for whatever reason. "Not with the cybernetics and such, anyway. But whether I am or not, I have certain... abilities that no one else does."

A thought struck his friend. "Could you use your mind as a weapon? I mean, for some kind of psychic attack?"

Athrun was rather relieved by the answer. "I don't know, tovarisch. And I don't think I'd ever want to find out." Kevin shrugged. "But it isn't really relevant; those talents are too new for them to matter much. It's just an example of how strange I am."

"I guess." Athrun raised an eyebrow. "You know, Kevin, after seeing you in action for the past few months, I would never have expected you to care so much about what happened to your homeland. I remember you used to say you weren't loyal to any government. You've changed."

"No, I haven't," Snake said easily, looking back out at the stars. "I'm the same self-centered, egotistical jerk I've always been. I just didn't want them taking my property, that's all; you'll notice my mansion is on Izanagi. The _rest_ of the country didn't matter a wit to me."

"I don't believe you." The Justice's pilot was openly skeptical. "If you were really a 'self-centered, egotistical jerk' you wouldn't have gone to such lengths to protect Cagalli."

"Sure I would." Kevin half-smiled. "Maybe I just want her all to myself."

"No, Kevin," Athrun said slowly, suddenly serious, "I don't believe that, either. If that was really what you wanted, you two would have gotten together a long time ago. I haven't known her very long, but even I can see that."

Snake turned away, and floated silently for a few minutes. "No, you're wrong," he said finally. "Those crusty old noble bastards were right, you know; I _do_ want that. But I'd never tell her that; it is something that I cannot allow to happen."

His friend tilted his head. "Why not?" The super-soldier's words puzzled him; Kevin Walker was a man who usually did whatever he bloody well pleased, and hang the consequences. For him to hold back from something he (and, Athrun suspected, Cagalli as well, whether she consciously realized it or not) wanted was very unusual.

"Athrun," Kevin said slowly, "do you know what happened to the _last_ girl I fell for? Her name was Rachel Carver; I don't know if you know the name, though Frank does." He took a deep breath. "She died, Athrun, about three years ago."

Athrun was confused. "What does that have to do with-?"

Kevin's breathing turned ragged. "_I_ killed her, Athrun! Rachel Carver, alias Medusa, was my second-in-command in the Destroyers, the 'Walker team'. She was a ZAFT soldier, one whom I cared for, and she died for it. I killed her with my own teeth and claws, Athrun! I went berserk and used my zoanthrope powers in a display of savagery and horror that haunts me to this day! Not only do I have her blood on my hands, I have it _in_ me! I tore out her throat with my fangs, and I tasted her blood. Do you have any idea how that feels?"

Athrun drew back, beginning to understand. Kevin feared more than merely losing Cagalli. He feared that if he allowed himself to feel anything more than friendship, that he would do the deed himself. _He's terrified,_ he realized, understanding now that there _was_ something even the Snake feared. _After all that's happened, even though he can use those powers again, Kevin's terrified he'll snap again, and have history repeat itself._

"Kevin," he began, "that's in the past. It's got nothing to do with who you are now."

"There's more to it than that, Athrun," Snake replied, not surprised at his friend's deductions. "Do you know how many true friends I have? Those whom I would call tovarisch?" He didn't wait for a reply. "You, Kira, Cagalli, Tolle, Mu, Dearka, Murrue, and Mir. Eight people, Athrun; even Sai doesn't merit that accolade. But there used to be more. Nicol Amalfi, Nikolai Arkadeyevich Tupolev, Sergei Ivanovich Gregorov, Andy Waltfeld... They're all gone, Athrun. People who get that close to me, except for a few who have proven more resilient to the Grim Reaper, have a way of dying rather violently."

"What about Lacus? Or Castile?"

"They're different; family, not friends. Lacus in particular, since she lacks Frank's predilection toward bad puns and jokes at my expense." Kevin slowly shook his head. "You see, Athrun? I'm always running from the Grim Reaper, always a step ahead, but _only_ a step ahead; and if he cannot catch me, he will take those I am close to."

"Seems to me," Athrun said somewhat archly, "that it's _their_ choice to make, whether they take the risk. Not yours."

"Then call me an arrogant bastard, I don't care." Snake clenched his fists. "I've lost too much, tovarisch," he said softly. "The Grim Reaper has taken so much from me... I can't do it anymore. I can't keep _losing_ people that way. It's too much."

Athrun was about to respond when another voice cut in from a wall speaker. "You ever get the impression, Athrun, that this guy goes in for _way_ too much self-pity?"

Kevin started in surprise, and the Justice's pilot turned to the speaker. "Yeah, Max, he does."

"Well, Snake," the computer said (she was linked into the _Kusanagi_'s intercom system via the Wraith's radio gear), "I've got two words for you: shut up."

Snake glared. "Eavesdropping, are we? If I catch you doing that again, Max, I'll-"

"Break my neck?" Max sounded amused. "Tolle tells me you once threatened that Buskirk fellow with that. Well, permit me to point out that I don't have a neck for you to break -except maybe the Wraith's, and I think even your bionic arm would have quite a time trying _that_- and that I just happen to be right. You're stuck thinking in the past, Snake; you need to remember that those things happened years ago, that it's over. The dead should be remembered, but the _living_ are the ones you should be worried about right now. Oh, you may _think_ it's the living you're worried about, but it's your survivor's guilt over the dead that's really on your mind."

"And what do _you_ know about psychology, you collection of transistors and microchips?" Kevin said acidly.

"Oh, tut, tut," the AI said mock-sorrowfully. "You know, usually it's Tolle who calls me names like that. I'll have you know, _My Lord_, that I'm a _quantum_ computer, just like any other modern CPU. Haven't got a transistor in me anywhere." She sighed. "Okay, maybe you know yourself better than I do, Snake. But let me say this: if you're gonna get yourself blown up or anything, which isn't exactly improbable in this situation, then don't leave things undone, and don't be such a reclusive worrier that you lose whatever small measure of dignity -which, now that I think about it, may be _very_ small- that you may have. 'Go to your God like a soldier, soldier of the Queen'."

Snake's eyes narrowed. "Someone introduced you to poetry, I see. Well, Max, maybe you've got some small point in there; but human beings are _far_ more complex than that." Without another word, he left the room, apparently searching for an even lonelier place.

Athrun turned to the speaker after he'd left. "Well, you tried. Thanks."

"No problem." The AI sighed again. "Well, at least he's not as bad as he used to be; Tolle tells me he was once on the verge of blowing his own head off."

"So I hear." He raised an eyebrow. "That last thing you said, that was poetry?"

"Yeah," Max acknowledged. "Rudyard Kipling, 'The Young British Soldier'. Commander La Flaga mentioned it to me. That Kipling guy could be pretty downbeat, but he talked a lot about wars and battlefields; since I'm a battle computer, I figured I should check it out, and Mir downloaded a copy of Kipling's complete works into my mainframe." She chuckled. "You know, Athrun, I'm really not getting paid enough for this. Erica set me loose to look after Tolle, and here I am trying to unravel the mysterious Kevin Walker at the same time. I should be getting bonus -or maybe hazard- pay for this."

"And how, exactly," Athrun asked carefully, "does an artificial intelligence get 'paid'?"

"Hey, kemo sabe -and by the way, that's a really strange thing to call someone; I mean, 'soggy shrub'?- assuming that crazy idiot Tolle doesn't manage to get the Wraith blown up before the end of the war, I won't be a battle computer forever. I mean, without a war, I'm kinda out of work. So, in case I should for some reason need some cash after my career change, I'm getting paid the usual rate for soldiers. That is, 'whatever we can afford, and we'll give you the rest ten years after you're dead'."

He had to laugh at that. "You know, you're the _strangest_ AI I've ever met. You sure you're not human?"

Max chuckled. "Oh, no, Athrun; I mean, I like you carbon-based guys, and I may be able to kind of understand you, but you people are _way_ too illogical. Of course, there's a certain amount of irrationality in me, too -Erica used a program Snake came up with, some kind of 'random element personality synthesizer' something or other- but I don't think I'd want to _be_ human. Besides, I like Tolle enough that Mir and I would probably kill each other if I were flesh-and-blood. I think," she added, in a more thoughtful tone, "that that's part of why I'm not actually owned by Morgenroete; they made me my own person 'cause they didn't want liability problems."

Athrun raised an eyebrow. "So you're an Orb citizen, not a piece of equipment? Does that mean you have to pay taxes?"

"Yeah," Max agreed ruefully. "Another reason why I'm getting paid. Lucky for me, Orb doesn't have any tax collectors right now." He got the strong impression of a grin in her voice. "But it also means I get to vote; I bet nobody thought about _that._"

* * *

Later, Athrun floated in the observation room overlooking the _Kusanagi_'s hanger/ launch area. Seeing the bustle of activity without really looking at it, his mind replayed a few moments at Kaguya's mass driver facilities. 

"The Earth Forces' current actions are being guided by the leader of Blue Cosmos, Muruta Azrael," Lord Uzumi said. "To make matters worse, the PLANTs are being led by someone who believes Coordinators are a new species, for Patrick Zala rules them now."

The words echoed in his head, over and over, as he remembered the other things he'd seen recently, in the PLANTs and elsewhere. His father, very much a changed man; Yuri Amalfi, Nicol's father, now more interested in vengeance than peace; the N-jammer cancellers that allowed nuclear power; and Lacus Clyne's biting, challenging words at the White Symphony theater, in Junius Five...

"Athrun?" Athrun looked up, to see Kira and Kevin entering, already in their flight suits; he noticed that the super-soldier had no trace of his earlier depression on his face. "It looks like things are all settled here now, so we should probably head back to the _Archangel_." Kira shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, but this ship is full of M1s."

"And our mobile suits are taking up space," Kevin said laconically. He tilted his head at his friend's lack of reaction. "Athrun?"

"Huh?" Athrun looked up again, but before he could speak, the hatch on the other side of the compartment opened, and Cagalli entered.

"Kira," she began quietly, "we should talk."

Athrun began to head for the hatch. "Excuse me; I'll see you guys later..."

She caught his arm on her way over to Kira. "Athrun, wait. Stay here, okay?" Leaving the Coordinator with a puzzled expression, Cagalli caught herself on the pole Kira held onto.

He looked at her in concern. "Something bothering you, Cagalli?" Kira asked, as Athrun and Kevin drifted to either side of the princess.

She hesitated, then reached into her pocket. "It's this," Cagalli said, and handed him the photo.

Kira took it, puzzled. "A photo? Of who?"

"Other side."

He turned it over, and his eyes instantly widened, as did Athrun's, as he read the words on the back. _What the?_

"My father gave it to me, just as I was boarding the _Kusanagi,_" Cagalli told him. "He said... that I wouldn't be alone. That I'd be with my brother!"

_"What?"_ Kira stared at her, then looked back at the photo. Two babies, one brown haired, the other blond...

She unconsciously gripped Kevin's arm, clinging to a measure of familiarity, comfort, and security. "What does it all mean?"

"I-I don't know," Kira managed. "I honestly don't have a clue."

"Twins...?" Athrun whispered. None of them realized that Snake was acting completely unsurprised.

"There's no point in dwelling on it now, Cagalli," Kira finally said, minutes later. "This doesn't tell us anything, really." Yet he knew in his heart that it was true; perhaps he always had.

"If you and I are siblings," Cagalli said, tears in her eyes, "then what _am_ I?"

She tightened her hold on Kevin, who for his part had just frozen in surprise. Lord Uzumi had told him of the connection between his friends, but he hadn't thought it through. _Idiot!_ he thought now. _All these years, and you never saw it! _She's_ a Coordinator, too! How could we not have realized that?_

From the depths of his memory, things that Cagalli had mentioned of a conversation she'd had with Kira came to mind. _"But you guys can do so much more stuff than we can," she protested. "You're talented in all these different ways, from birth."_

_"Only if we sharpen our skills by practicing, studying, and training properly," Kira disagreed. "Like Naturals, we're born with potential; we're not gifted just because we're Coordinators."_

_Of course,_ Kevin realized now._ You're only as good as you think you are; she isn't up to our level only because she didn't know she _could_ be. She hasn't trained to her limits... yet._

"Don't worry so much, Cagalli," Kira said at last. "Even if it's true, it doesn't change the fact that Lord Uzumi was still... _your father._"

There was only silence in the room, as Cagalli leaned against Kevin's comforting, powerful frame, and pondered Kira's words.

* * *

Later, as Cagalli watched from the observation room, the Freedom, Justice, and Stormhawk prepared for launch, on their way back to the _Archangel_. 

Even as he went through his preflight, Athrun looked up at the comm screen linked to the Freedom. "Kira," he said quietly, "don't you think you should be with her at a time like this?"

Kira was silent for a few moments. "No," he said finally. "If I'm with her, she won't be able to stop thinking about it."

Athrun nodded. "Makes sense."

The three machines slowly flew out of the _Kusanagi_'s hanger, on a return course to the _Archangel;_ as they did so, Kira glanced over at the Stormhawk. (_Hey, Snake,_) he called over their link. (_I figured _you'd_ want to be with her right now. So why are you leaving?_)

(_It's only temporary,_) Kevin replied. (_I need to retrieve a few items from my quarters on the _Archangel._ I know, I could always ask Murrue to send them over, but... Cagalli doesn't need me around just now. It's better if I'm away, if only for a couple hours._)

(_But why?_)

Snake sighed silently. (_Kira, I'm a freak. We can debate whether or not that's a bad thing some other time, but what matters is this: I was designed, from birth, to be a soldier; I was brought into this world with a single purpose in mind, and I happen to be very, very good at it. These are the facts. So, if Cagalli really is a Coordinator, a part of her will have to wonder if that's what happened with her. I don't believe it, and I'm sure _she_ wouldn't really, but if I'm with her right now she'll wonder anyway._)

Kira frowned. (_It's not like she'd blame _you_, Snake. I mean-_)

(_I _know._ But she'll think about it anyway. If I just give her a little space, things should be fine._) Kevin's mental voice was firm. (_Rest assured, I'll be back with her soon. She just... needs a little time._)

Kira gave up arguing. His friend did, after all, know Cagalli better than he did; and few people were shrewder students of character than Kevin Walker. (_I guess you know what you're talking about._)

He looked up as the Justice's hand reached out to grip Freedom's shoulder. "Hey, Kira," Athrun said, oblivious to the silent conversation that had just taken place. "Do you think they'd let me borrow the _Archangel_'s shuttle when we get back? I need to make a little trip, to the PLANTs. I feel like I need to sit down and have a serious talk with my father."

"But, Athrun," Kira protested.

"I know! But still... he's _my father._"

The Freedom's pilot finally nodded. "I understand. I'll talk to Murrue and the others."

Athrun smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

The three machines flew onward, into the endless sky.

* * *

Author's note: _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_ have reached space; soon, they'll make their way toward Mendel, the place where it all began… 

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I, for one, never had a problem with Cagalli flying the Strike Rouge; except that she doesn't get it until the very end of Phase 48. As it happens, I originally thought she'd end up flying the Strike itself; I figured, from the moment I saw it being loaded onto the Orb aircraft in Phase 31, that it would be back, but I was wrong about who the pilot would be.

Expect you're right about Kevin and Shinn's altercations; Kevin might tolerate badmouthing Orb, but insult _Cagalli_, well…

Victor, continuity has always been something I pay a lot of attention to. Quite a few ideas I've had have been discarded for the sake of it, and a number of complicated explanations have been needed for it. On the other hand, one event coming up _really_ changes things, as you'll see.

As for Kevin's past with other characters, the fact of the matter is that I find it much easier to write a character who's fully tied into the back story. Interesting, in the original version of events, Kevin had known only Kira and Athrun prior to the story; that's one reason I had to rewrite so much, given his obvious past history with Cagalli.

RVD, what happens next will, I dare say, be interesting; it's almost time for Invictus to make another appearance, for example. After all, he's with the Clyne Faction…

Red Eyed Divine Dragoon77415, as another reviewer has already noted, the test pilots didn't die until Phase 49; I will say here that I wasn't amused by that turn of events. Draw your own conclusions from that.

Daniel Lynx, it is not a _laser_ anything; plasma is the fourth stage of matter, not technically energy (and yes, I realize that means I made a mistake last chapter; I'll have to correct that).

You're certainly right about things getting more intense than ever; stay tuned.

Shinji Ikari, I have one more thing to say on the matter of Kevin's missed shot: that _is_ how the real world works. Everybody misses occasionally, for whatever reason, and chances are it will be at exactly the most inconvenient moment. That's not contrivance, it's Murphy's Law.

Now, about the hyper jammers… I should point out in the cases of GENESIS and the Cyclops, the basic principles are already understood by science. We know all about gamma rays and microwave generators; but so far, we have no idea how to make things disappear into thin air. Yes, Mirage Colloid has something of an explanation, but even there it is, by necessity, somewhat vague. With the hyper jammers -another thing taken from Gundam Wing- I'm afraid I don't have the foggiest idea how they work. That's how science fiction is, in my experience.

When it comes to the duel between Kevin and Athrun, well… that's just how it worked out. It makes sense to me, anyway; if it doesn't to you, I'm afraid I don't really know how to make it any clearer.

You'll notice I fixed the typos you specifically referred to; though the first wasn't actually a typo, it was just me not being as clear as I thought I was.

I am aware of the problem with the battle scenes going too close to canon; however, I think that was the last. If not, well, Mendel is the last place where I _could_ do that, as you'll see. (And you're right, the "first draft" is about finished. Took me around nine months, including completely rewriting the first ten or so chapters; something I was still doing when I started posting, hence the delay in posting Just Deserts. However, given how much I've ended up changing due to reader feedback, writing so much in advance is _not_ a mistake I'll repeat, believe me.)

You know, I was wondering when someone else would notice the eventual Kevin/Cagalli pairing; I myself thought it rather obvious from their first extended encounter, in the desert, but that may have been because I -naturally- already knew it was coming (that's not the only thing I was accidently subtle about; Invictus' origins and allegiance were also unintentional surprises).

The conversation between Kevin and Lord Uzumi was an idea I had just about as soon as saw Phase 40 and found out that Athha didn't make it. It struck me as something that would fit both their personalities, and I'm glad you think I pulled it off well. Like I said, I pride myself on my character interaction sequences; I hope you approve of those in this chapter.

As you can see, I _did_ include a scene like you suggested with Mir and Tolle; it didn't happen earlier because, as you said, there wasn't time… and to be perfectly honest, it didn't occur to me, though it should have. Thanks for pointing it out.

Centurious, I'm pleased you found the notes on nuclear physics interesting; though I imagine you've seen _why_ I went so in-depth (fortunate that I like a good debate). Anyway, I hope this chapter does not disappoint.

I think I've covered everything -took me about twenty fewer minutes than average- so I'll wrap it up. Let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	29. Chapter 29: Eternal Storm

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Jack Carter, Invictus, and Max

* * *

As the _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_ cruised onward toward the L4 colony group, Cagalli roamed the Orb carrier, searching. Her good friend the Snake hadn't been seen in days, though it seemed apparent that he had been wandering the ship for at least part of the time. None of the crew had seen him, and there was no security imagery of his movements, but she knew Kevin could avoid the former simply by going where he _didn't_ sense presences, and the later via his formidable hacking skills. 

His absence would not have been considered unusual on the _Archangel_; Kevin had always had a habit of simply disappearing for long periods. Nor did most of the _Kusanagi_'s crew think anything of it, now that he'd transferred over. But Cagalli found it peculiar that even _she_ hadn't seen him during that time; usually, when they were on the same ship, Kevin tended to stick close to her. She was perhaps the only person in the world he trusted with his secrets; even Kira did not know everything there was to know about the super-soldier.

So it was that Cagalli finally found her way to Kevin's quarters, the one place she had not yet searched. She didn't bother knocking; it hadn't taken her long to figure out his door lock, and in the days before his wilderness years she hadn't found it necessary to announce herself. For one thing, Kevin was quite capable of sensing her coming long before she actually arrived; and besides, he'd never seemed to mind...

"Kevin?" Cagalli said hesitantly as the hatch slid open.

Snake looked up from his bunk, where he was sharpening a wicked-looking dagger. "Hi, Cagalli," he said with a smile. "Something up?"

"I was just wondering if you were okay, that's all," she replied, puzzled. She'd expected to find him in one of his depressed moods, but he seemed cheerful enough, if slightly apprehensive. "I haven't seen you for days, so..."

"Sorry about that; I just needed some time to think." Kevin set the knife aside. "Not, perhaps, the healthiest thing for me at the moment," he admitted, sitting up. "I've found that sometimes it is best not to be alone with one's thoughts for _too_ long."

"That's true." Cagalli realized then with a start that he wasn't wearing his trademark jacket and gloves; instead, Kevin wore a simple black t-shirt, completely unmarked as was his custom.

The absence of the jacket startled her. It hadn't surprised her to learn that his current taste in attire stemmed originally from a desire to conceal the marks of the many wounds he had suffered, particularly during the torture he'd endured before being brainwashed. To be sure, Cagalli was by now quite familiar with the scars that covered his chest and back, and down his arms and hands, but it was still unusual for Kevin to show any of them, even in the privacy of his own quarters, with none to see but the mirror and his closest friend.

She drifted over to him. "So what's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Kevin shrugged. "Bad memories, that's all. Parts of the past that should stay buried, parts that I don't want to remember." He met her eyes. "I think we're going to find out something at L4, tovarisch. At Mendel. I think we're going to find out something that neither one of us really wants to know."

Cagalli gripped his shoulder, noting absently the powerful muscles that a casual observer would never even realize were there. "Look, Kevin," she said softly. "That's in the past. If you really did do that, it's not your fault. You were brainwashed, remember? The people who are really to blame are already dead."

"Not quite," he said slowly. "Oracle is gone, but Patrick Zala gave the orders to create the unit, and if I'm right, Muruta Azrael was the one in charge of that op -something which I'm pretty sure Zala is _not_ aware of; no way he'd have let Oracle do that if he'd been briefed- and they're both still alive. And whether I'm truly guilty or not, I'm still the one who has to live with it."

She shook her head, perplexed as always by her friend's mood swings. _He didn't _used_ to be like that,_ she thought, then chided herself. He also hadn't used to be a super-soldier, either. A lot of things had changed in three and a half years.

But some things hadn't, and Cagalli lightly wrapped her arms around Kevin's shoulders. "You can't go on beating yourself up for something that happened when you were with ZAFT," she said in his ear. "And you can't even be sure it happened; you might have been conditioned to _think_ you did. You said yourself Oracle was a mad scientist. And I thought you were the one who didn't worry about things you couldn't do anything about."

"I know." He managed a quiet chuckle, arms going around her. "It's just that I'm not used to _having_ worries I can't do anything about. Most of the time, I just kinda shoot at everything and sort 'em out later."

"Yeah." Cagalli laughed and pulled back, looking into his bright jade eyes. "I swear, Kevin, if you met a tyrannosaurus you'd jump down its throat and claw your way out the tail." Her eyes traveled down to the scars on his left arm (oddly, the synthetic flesh on his right arm had been designed to emulate his old arm in every detail, down to the scar pattern; she supposed it was partly to keep a reminder of the past, however dark, and partly to avoid having the bionic limb stand out from the flesh-and-blood parts of his body). "Come to think of it, you look like you already have." She lightly traced one of the old, white marks down the arm.

"Power cable," Kevin said quietly, following her gaze. "The benefits of whipping and electroshock in one convenient length of cable." His peculiar sense of humor was present even when speaking of the torture he had endured. "Fortunately, the electroshock physically damaged portions of my brain, making memories of those days rather hazy. But I can still put a name to every scar I bear."

"I'm surprised you didn't have them erased," she murmured.

"One should remember the mistakes of the past, whether they are one's own or not," he said soberly, "lest they be repeated in the future. The scars are a part of my past, unpleasant though it may be, and I choose to remember it." He smiled. "And you know me, always clinging to the past, the last one to accept anything new."

Cagalli snorted. "Yeah, right." Releasing her grip on him, she drifted over to the bulkhead, where a large, heavy rifle hung. "And _this_ is old-fashioned?"

Kevin pulled himself over and lifted the hundred-kilo weapon. "Yeah, I guess a plasma rifle _is_ pretty high-tech," he conceded. "But the next time I run into Carter, I'm not messing around. I'm just gonna flash-fry the bastard before he can blink." He shook his head, checking the rifle's charge. "And the thing of it is, I haven't the slightest notion of why he's trying to kill me. I mean, I know he's with ZAFT, or at least he was, but if he's a copy of me, shouldn't he _think_ like me, too?"

She raised an eyebrow. "And exactly how do _you_ react when you think someone's wronged you?"

"You have a point," he admitted. "But I don't know _what_ he's trying to avenge. All he said was something about there not being enough room in this world for two of us." He ran a hand through his sandy hair. "Of course. As long as I exist, he can be no more than a mere shadow; but if I'm gone, the shadow is all that remains. Huh. The scary thing is, in his place I might do the very same thing."

"I don't think so," Cagalli disagreed. "But we'll never have to find out, now will we?"

"No. And the problem isn't going to exist for much longer, anyway. Not if I have anything to say about it." Kevin retrieved the knife he'd been sharpening earlier, slid it into its sheath, and strapped it to his left forearm; with his jacket on, it would be concealed by his sleeve.

That done, he strapped a trio of throwing knives to his right arm, buckled on a gunbelt with his Colt in a holster tied down to his thigh, and slipped on a shoulder holster with a .45 automatic. Then he clipped his rapier to his belt (despite its awkwardness, he seldom went anywhere without it anymore), pulled on his jacket, and slung the plasma rifle behind his back.

Cagalli gripped Kevin's right hand before he pulled on the gloves, noting absently as she did so that the flesh felt just as natural as the rest of him. "You're going out there, aren't you?" she said quietly.

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. When Athrun makes his little trip, I'm going to escort him, with Kira. Unlike Kira, though, I'm going all the way to the PLANTs; Stormhawk's hyper jammers will suffice to get me past Jachin Due's defenses, and from there it's a relatively simple matter to sneak in."

"Are you going after Chairman Zala?"

He shook his head with a chuckle. "Not this time. Athrun said he wanted to _talk_; I don't think he'd appreciate it if I vaporized his father in the middle of it. No, I'm going there to check on my cousin. Athrun said Lacus has been declared a traitor, which means she must be on the run; if they catch up with her..."

"I understand." She knew how much family ties meant to her friend; and that he'd always been particularly close to this cousin. "But for now," Cagalli said with a smile, taking Kevin's arm, "I think it's time you got out of here for a while, don't you? Before you get so depressed that I have to shoot you again."

He laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Let Mendel worry about itself for now; that's the past and the future, not the present."

"By the way," she asked on the way out, "why _did_ you abort your last attack, back in Orb? I'd have thought nothing would have gotten in your way back there..."

Kevin paused. "I couldn't take the risk," he said simply. "Powerful though Stormhawk may be, that was still an entire _fleet_ out there; if I'd continued after Azrael, especially in that emotional state, I might've gotten myself killed, and I couldn't afford that. Not when I swore to Lord Uzumi that I'd be there for you."

Cagalli blinked back sudden tears. _My father... asked Kevin to take care of me?_ "He asked you to do that?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Yes, he did. In the end, he decided he was wrong about me, and charged me with taking care of you, especially now, so soon after the battle." _He also told me that if anything were to happen between us we had his blessing, but let's skip that, shall we? No need to give her ideas, when it can never happen._

She sensed he was leaving something unsaid, but decided not to push it. _If it's something I should know, he'll tell me. Maybe not isn't the time, but maybe it's something else... but I trust his judgment._ In fact, she trusted him implicitly, and he'd never given her any reason to doubt him. That was one of many reasons she valued his company.

"Thanks for telling me," Cagalli said quietly.

Kevin smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Thought you'd like to know, tovarisch; though I hope you never doubted I'd do it anyway, oath or no oath." He jerked his head at the hatch. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat, eh?"

* * *

The next day, after Kevin had temporarily transferred his machine back to the _Archangel_, Athrun prepared to launch in one of the ship's small, single-seat shuttles. 

While the mechanics prepared the vessel in the hanger, he was clearing up a few last-minute details with Kevin, Kira, and Dearka. "If I don't come back," Athrun said to his fellow ZAFT deserter, "I want _you_ to pilot the Justice."

Dearka vehemently shook his head. "Forget about it," he said forcefully. "You're the only one who should be in that thing."

"Wait a minute!" Cagalli shouted, coming through the air toward them. She caught Athrun's shoulders and shook him. "Athrun! Why are you doing this?"

"Cagalli?"

She glared at him. "Tell me you're not really going back to the PLANTs!"

He looked away. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it." She glanced up at the Justice. "What'll happen to you if you return without _that_?"

"It's better if the Justice stays here," Athrun replied, evading the question. "And if worse comes to worst, I'm sure Kira will take care of it."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I know. But I have to know." He sighed. "One way or the other... I _have_ to know."

Kira drifted over. "Cagalli, you know he has to. It's his _father_."

She looked away. "I know." Cagalli looked up at Kevin, who had also joined them. "You take care of him, got it?"

He half-smiled. "Yeah, sure, tovarisch. Not a problem." Snake pushed away from the deck, heading for his own machine. _Kind of ironic, given the number of times they nearly killed each other, but..._

Cagalli caught up with him at the Stormhawk's hatch and pulled him close. "Take care of yourself, too, okay?" she whispered.

Kevin grinned. "Don't worry, Cagalli. Anybody looks at me cross-eyed and I'll fry 'em."

A half hour later, Ramius watched from the Bridge as the shuttle launched. _"Kira here,"_ Kira said from the main monitor. _"Freedom and Stormhawk launching to escort the shuttle."_

She nodded. "Very well. Be careful."

Two mobile suits and a shuttle flew onward toward the homeland of the enemy, one pilot on his way to confront his father, one to escort him... and one with a mission all his own.

* * *

It was a long trip from where the _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_ cruised to the L5 point, where the PLANTs hung in space, but at last the journey was nearly over. 

"We're approaching Jachin Due's defensive perimeter," Athrun informed his comrades. "You two should head back now."

"Roger that," Snake acknowledged, though he made no move to break off.

"Okay," Kira echoed. "I'll wait for you here."

Athrun looked sharply at the Freedom. "No, you should go back."

Kira was silent for several moments. "Athrun," he said finally.

"Huh?"

"It's not your time to go. You know that, don't you?"

"Kira..."

"It's not our time to go," he repeated. "For any of us."

Athrun thought about that, right hand idly fingering the amulet Cagalli had given him for luck months earlier, soon after the destruction of the Aegis. "Not yet," he murmured.

"Not yet," Kira agreed.

"Okay, then. I'll remember that," Athrun promised.

"Make sure you do." Kira glanced over at the Stormhawk, even as he reversed thrust and let the shuttle go on ahead. "You remember that, too, Snake, okay? I don't think Cagalli would be very happy if you forgot it."

"That's true," Kevin acknowledged.

A moment later, the Sturm Falke converted to mobile armor mode and then vanished into cloak as its hyper jammers activated.

Athrun glanced back. "Kira? What's Kevin up to?"

"I don't know," Kira replied, checking his radio. As he'd suspected, Stormhawk could not be contacted, which left him one avenue. He concentrated for a moment, then blinked in surprise. "I can't get through to him, either; he's blocking me." That in itself didn't surprise Kira; _he_ didn't know how to put up mental barriers like that, but Kevin knew far more about psychosomatic phenomena.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Athrun muttered.

The Freedom swiftly dwindled to a speck, and then less than that, as the small shuttle neared Jachin Due. It was fairly essential that ZAFT not realize the Freedom was there, of course; especially since Athrun's mission had been to _retrieve_ the stolen machine.

"Jachin Due Defense Forces, please respond," he radioed. "This is Special Forces Agent Athrun Zala..."

* * *

At the very moment Athrun was making his transmission, Snake was approaching the massive fortress himself. _Jachin Due,_ he mused. _Formerly a resource satellite. The last time I came here, it was still just that, and in a different section of orbit. My, what a make-over they've given the place._

Jachin Due. Its name came from one of the pillars of Solomon's Temple, called 'Due' to signify its status as the second of two fortresses guarding the Coordinator homeland. Originally a resource asteroid, it had been the site of a huge battle in the early days of the war. By the time the space dust settled, the Earth Alliance's Fifth and Sixth Fleets had been virtually annihilated, and the Earth Forces were driven into retreat.

Following that, ZAFT forces had relocated the asteroid to a location strategically important to the PLANTs and transformed it into the fortress known as Jachin Due, twin to the asteroid base Boaz. It was a formidable obstacle, with dozens of mobile suits stationed within and countless fixed defenses. Alone, it had been sufficient to stop another Alliance attack in its tracks. It was impregnable.

Unless, of course, you're invisible. You can't fight what you can't see.

Smiling to himself, Snake easily guided his stealthed machine past the mighty fortress and toward the PLANTs themselves. His destination was Aprilius One, the center of the PLANT government and the most likely location of Lacus Clyne. Knowing his cousin as he did, she would no doubt be careful... but she would also want to remain near the seat of power. There, Lacus' people could keep a closer eye on Zala's regime, with the added bonus of hiding in plain sight.

One would normally expect that to make the search very challenging, but no one had ever accused Kevin Walker of being normal. He _would_ succeed.

Confident of his success, he flew on, nearing the massive colony.

* * *

In Aprilius One itself, Martin DaCosta, dressed in a business suit, abandoned his usual caution and raced up the stairs to a nondescript building, where a similarly-dressed soldier quickly opened the door for him. 

Inside, in a room cluttered with people and portable computers, Lacus Clyne turned to him. "Hello, Martin. What's the word on the street?"

"Not good," he admitted. "A lot of people were disturbed by what Ezalia Joule said about you in her broadcast." That was hardly a surprise, of course; Yzak's mother, a member of the PLANT Supreme Council, in a recent news conference had claimed that Lacus was still the idol of the PLANTs she had always been, but that she was now being manipulated by the Earth Forces. She had called on citizens to turn her in, so that she could be "saved", and that had unfortunately struck a chord with far too many people. "And the news about Master Siegel hasn't been released to the public yet. I know it's a little sooner than we planned," DaCosta went on, "but I think we should consider leaving."

"I understand your concern," Lacus said slowly. "And I'm inclined to agree with you. Very well. Everyone, it is time for us to move forward!"

"Been busy, eh?"

Heads turned as people realized there was someone else in the room, and DaCosta reached into his jacket for the pistol hidden there.

But the black-clad figure raised a hand. "Relax, people," Kevin said quietly. "I'm Kevin Walker. Most of you don't know me, but your leader and I are quite well acquainted. Right, Cousin?"

Lacus smiled broadly. "Kevin! What are you doing here?" She quickly embraced her cousin. "I had no idea you were in the PLANTs!"

"Until earlier today, I wasn't," he replied with a smile. He looked over at the red-haired ex-ZAFT man. "Martin DaCosta, isn't it? It's a pleasure to finally meet you during a time _other_ than a Blue Cosmos attack. I'm the guy your old boss knew as Racher."

DaCosta shook his hand. "An honor, sir; Commander Waltfeld always spoke highly of you." He raised an eyebrow. "I'd heard your real name, after the attack on Orb, but I had no idea you were related to Miss Lacus."

"Most people don't," Snake agreed. "My genealogy is pretty complex, though I've never really understood why so few people know that my mother was Uncle Siegel's sister." He frowned. "Speaking of whom, what did you mean by 'news' about him?"

Lacus swallowed hard. "Chairman Zala... had him assassinated," she said softly.

Kevin's eyes turned to jade ice. "Uncle Siegel? No... One more thing Zala must pay for..." He took a deep breath, calming himself. "I'm sorry, Lacus. But that's why _I'm_ here; Athrun told us his father was hunting you, so I thought I'd come out here and check on you."

The smile returned to her face. "Athrun? Then he _did_ find you?"

He nodded. "That he did, and helped protect us on the way out of Orb, to space. He's here, by the way; he said he needed to talk to his father."

Lacus looked worried. "That could be very dangerous. Chairman Zala is not one to forgive failure these days; I hope he'll be all right."

"Me, too." Snake glanced around at the computer equipment. "Look, if you guys can lend me a little computer time, I've got a way to check on him; I've got a personal message to deliver to the good Chairman, anyway."

"If they trace it-" DaCosta warned.

"They won't," Kevin assured him. "I'll bounce the signal through my mobile suit, and they'll never get a fix on _that_."

"Then please, go ahead," Lacus said, showing him to an unoccupied computer. "Might I ask what you intend to do?"

"Something very, very crazy," he replied, pulling a neural-link adapter out of his pocket. "Something I don't think anyone has ever tried before, and probably for very good reason." He connected the device and pressed his palm against it. "Give me a few minutes, and _don't_ disturb me."

Kevin sat in a chair, and suddenly his eyes were vacant, as though nobody was home.

* * *

Kevin's eyes soon saw a different room, one with low lighting, that was occupied by eight other people: Patrick Zala, his son Athrun, and six armed guards. 

He was nervous, and not because of the soldiers, or even the fact that his friend was on the floor, with his own father pointing a gun at him. No, he was apprehensive because of the _extreme_ risk he was taking. What Kevin was doing was linking his mind through one computer, via a neural link, to his mobile suit; which in turn relayed his signal to Patrick Zala's office, where he appeared as a hologram.

His body was safe enough, but there were enough links in the chain to make it a very real possibility that Kevin's mind would be cut off from his body completely. If any of the relays failed...

But now, his attention was entirely on the scene before him. "Answer me, Athrun!" Zala demanded. "Where are the Justice and the Freedom? Where is the mobile suit we captured and upgraded? Answer me!"

Athrun just looked at him, eyes narrow, amulet glowing. _"To make matters worse, the PLANTs are being led by someone who believes that Coordinators are a new species, for Patrick Zala rules them now... Patrick Zala rules them now..."_

The words kept echoing in his head, and something in him snapped. With a wordless snarl of pure rage, he launched himself at his father, hands reaching for Zala's throat.

Startled, the Chairman fired, grazing his son's shoulder. "Hold your fire!" he ordered the guards. "There are some things he still needs to tell me. Take him away, and get the answers from him. Use whatever means necessary."

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm _very_ disappointed, Athrun," Zala said harshly.

"I feel the same way," his son replied.

As Athrun was dragged away, he caught sight of the hologram, and his eyes widened for an instant. Then they narrowed again, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Well, well," Kevin said coldly. "How the mighty have fallen. Treating your son that way, Zala? Not a good sign, not at all."

Zala spun around. "What the- Who are you, and how did you get in here?" He leveled the pistol.

"Save it, Chairman," Snake advised. "I'm not really here; this is only a hologram. And my name, since you asked, is Kevin Walker, also known as Baron Onishi. You should remember me."

The Chairman's eyes narrowed. "You. The one called Hydra. _Another_ traitor."

"Shut up," Kevin said coolly. "I'm not a traitor to anything; unless you think I ought to be _loyal_ to the people who kidnapped me, tortured me, brainwashed me? No, I never betrayed that which I truly believed in." His holographic form began to pace. "It's been a long time, Chairman, since we last saw each other face-to-face. Once I respected you, but now that you seem to have _completely_ lost your marbles, the only thing that keeps me from wishing that you never existed is the fact that Athrun is your son. But I'm warning you now, bastard, if anything happens to Athrun I'll come right over and kill you."

"So you're nearby? Then that will make it all the easier to track you down." Zala's eyes were hard. "And then we'll see what secrets _you've_ been keeping."

"Not a chance, Zala. You can't trace this transmission, I'd kill anyone you sent after me, and I wouldn't break under interrogation anyway. I've endured _far_ worse, thanks to you." Snake's eyes were equally hard. "Understand this, Patrick Zala: I really don't have the time to kill you now, however much you may deserve it. Therefore, you may have as much as a few months left. But if you hurt Athrun in any way, I'll bloody well _make_ time." He smiled very, very coldly. "'Beware the fury of a patient man'," he quoted. "I have waited three long years for this, Zala, ever since I annihilated Oracle and the lab. I can wait a little longer. But the day is coming soon when my patience will pay off, and on that day, you will die."

He drew the illusory rapier that hung at his side, sketched a salute, and then ran the holographic blade through Zala's chest. "Una salus victus nullam sperare salutem," Kevin said. "You are the doomed, Chairman. Your only hope is not to hope for safety, for you will never find it as long as I survive."

Before Patrick Zala could think of a suitable retort, the phantom figure had vanished.

* * *

Kevin came back to himself with a start, his consciousness returning to his body fairly abruptly; he shook his head quickly to clear it. 

"Did you learn anything?" Lacus asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Chairman Zala's gone completely off the deep end. Lacus, he shot Athrun."

She gasped. "Is he alright?" _If we lost Athrun, too...!_

"Just a flesh wound; but he's being taken away for interrogation. ZAFT has drugs that could make a dead man speak, so we'd better do something." Snake looked around the room. "Can we?"

DaCosta smiled. "Yes, Baron, I believe we can. And there's someone you should meet." He turned. "Invictus?"

A shadow detached itself from the wall, a barely perceptible blurring of the air that quickly resolved itself into the figure of an armored man as he deactivated the optic camouflage. "Hello, Hydra," Invictus said quietly, pulling off his helmet. "I've wanted to meet you for a long time."

Kevin stared, hand reflexively reaching for a weapon as he came face-to-face with himself. "What the-!"

"Relax, Kevin," Lacus said soothingly, laying a hand on her cousin's arm. "It's all right; he's one of us." She smiled. "I'm sure you two will get along; you have _so_ much in common, after all."

He watched the other sandy-haired soldier warily. "You're another clone," Snake stated. "Or are you really Carter, trying another little trick?"

Invictus shook his head. "No trick, Hydra... Kevin, I mean. I'm the _second_ clone, the reason there are only two copies left; I killed all the rest."

Snake's revolver was suddenly in his hand, pointed directly at the assassin's forehead. Ignoring Lacus' dismayed expression, he thumbed back the hammer. "Prove it, pal. Give me a good reason to believe you're not the same guy I tossed through a window, or I'll kill you."

Invictus thought very carefully about his next words. He knew perfectly well that, even sharing Kevin's unique genetic abilities, he stood no chance in a gunfight with him. "Okay, Kevin," he said finally. "Here's the proof: you have a certain female friend whom you literally grew up with. You have the same birthday, and you have always been very close, despite the fact that her father disliked you. More importantly, this is a girl you l-"

"Shut up!" Kevin lowered the Colt, but continued to glare. "Okay, you are who you say you are. But if you really have all my memories prior to that time, you should know that there are certain things I don't want spoken of. Understand?"

"Yeah. Just wanted you to be sure." Invictus the cybernetic assassin, trained via chemical learning techniques in the ancient art of ninjutsu, held out a hand. "A pleasure to finally meet the original."

"A pleasure to meet someone who shares my DNA without wanting to kill me," Snake replied, shaking the hand. "I'll want to hear your story later, but right now I think we have a mutual friend to rescue, don't we?"

"That we do." Invictus glanced at the plasma rifle. "That big ugly thing any use?"

Snake smiled. "You could say that." He turned to DaCosta. "C'mon, DaCosta. Let's get things going, shall we?"

* * *

Athrun walked numbly along in the center of the ring of guards, hands cuffed behind him and shoulder burning from the wound his father had inflicted. 

He almost wanted to try some suicidal stunt, a fatal attempt at escape, but Kira's words came back to him. _"It's not your time to go... it's not your time to go... You know that, right?... you know that, right?..."_ The words buoyed him, and gave him the beginnings of a plan.

Soon enough, they had arrived at the vehicle that would take him off to be interrogated, probably brutally, and Athrun had an idea. Reckless, but just possibly workable, with a little luck, good timing, and (hopefully) a good amount of surprise on the part of the guards.

He stopped just behind the van. "Hey, what are you-" a guard demanded; and Athrun acted.

He slammed his foot into the soldier to his right, and body-slammed the one to his left, then started running away. At the same time, another guard, though appearing surprised, suddenly turned and slammed the butt of his rifle into his partner's face, knocking him out. "Didn't expect this," he muttered, and ran over to Athrun. "This way! Hurry!"

They ducked around a corner just as a bolt of fiery-red plasma streaked down from a rooftop and struck the Justice Ministry van, causing it to explode in a most satisfactory manner, while at the same time a figure appeared from nowhere, sword in hand. _"When the shadow strikes..."_ A quick flurry of slashes, brief screams, and silence. _"...only death remains!"_

The duplicitous soldier turned to Athrun. "Get down and turn your back to me! I'm gonna shoot your handcuffs!" Doing so, he shook his head. "You're way too reckless. Don't you wanna live? You even knocked out one of _my_ guys!" He handed the pilot a machine pistol as he spoke.

"Who are you guys?" Athrun asked, cocking the weapon.

DaCosta lifted his helmet. "I'm a member of what they're calling the Clyne Faction," he explained. "You've thrown quite a wrench into our plans."

"I'm sorry," Athrun said sardonically. "I had no idea."

"Well, naturally. How could you?" The ex-ZAFT soldier looked to his right as two figures approached. "There you are. We gotta hurry!"

The blue-haired pilot blinked as he realized both young men had the same face, then noticed the scar one of them bore. "Kevin! Invictus! What are you two doing here?"

"Saving your hide," Invictus answered.

"From your psychotic father," Kevin agreed. He appeared to concentrate for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, Stormhawk's set up for the homing signal. Martin, where are we going?"

The four began moving again. "To our getaway ship," DaCosta answered. "By the time we arrive, the _Eternal_ should be secure."

Snake looked blank for a moment, then impressed as data streamed to the front of his mind from his implanted computers. "The battleship with the METEOR units. Not bad, Martin. Who's in command?"

"You'll want to see for yourself," the man replied with a cryptic smile. "I think you'll be pleased."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the battleship _Eternal_, Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld sat in the Bridge's command chair. "Well," he said to the Bridge crew at large. "I guess it's time." He lifted the intercom handset. "All hands, the ship is entering final preparations. Repeat, the ship is beginning final preparations. Get to work!" 

On a lower deck, two crew members looked confused, then froze as their crewmates suddenly held guns on them. "What the-"

"Easy, now," a female crew member, already under the gun, advised.

As the ZAFT loyalists among the crew were debarked, Lacus entered the Bridge. "Sorry for the delay!" she apologized, setting down in the flag chair.

"No worries," Waltfeld replied. "So long as you arrived safely." He turned, raising an inquiring eyebrow. "Shall we launch?"

"Yes," Lacus said firmly. "Invictus is already aboard, Martin should be on his way with Athrun, and I believe Kevin's mobile suit will be meeting us outside. I'm not sure if he'll be _in_ it," she conceded, "but he'll be coming somehow."

"Indeed," Snake agreed, entering through the same hatch Lacus had. "Stormhawk will be meeting us outside." He turned to his cousin. "So tell me, Lacus, who _is_ the commander here?"

Waltfeld swiveled in his chair. "It's been a while, Racher," he said with a smile. "Welcome aboard."

Kevin froze, not even breathing, as he stared in shock at the apparition before him. The Desert Tiger had lost an arm, and a wicked, inverted-Y scar ran over his left eye socket, but it was definitely his old mentor. _"Andy?" _he whispered, stunned.

"Congratulations, Commander," Lacus commented to Waltfeld. "You've surprised him; that doesn't happen very often."

"Yeah, I know," he agreed. "I taught this guy everything I know about tactics and strategy, and it looks like you built on it, eh, youngster?"

Snake shut his mouth. "Yeah, you could say that... Andy, I thought-"

"I nearly died," Waltfeld acknowledged. "Your buddy Kira did a pretty thorough job; but I got out. Yeah, I got out," he repeated with a smile, "but it cost me an arm and a leg. And an eye."

"Aisha?" the super-soldier asked quietly.

The Tiger just shook his head.

"Solkin syn," Snake murmured. He had come to know Aisha well, in the two weeks he was Waltfeld's pupil; he would miss her. _But you can't exactly seek vengeance for _her_, now can you, Snake? It_ was_ Kira that did it, after all. And that was war, not like the sort of things you _do_ avenge._ "I'm sorry."

Waltfeld shrugged. "These things happen in a war. Right now, our duty is to the living; though I suppose in your case, that means making more of the dead, doesn't it?"

"Each step I take is paved with the corpses of my enemies," Snake agreed, half-smiling as he quoted his mentor's words to him some years earlier. "So, when do we launch?"

"Right now." Waltfeld looked forward at the helmsman. "Start up main engines."

In the control room overlooking the _Eternal_'s dock, the engine startup caused pandemonium. "Eternal_, what are you doing? You don't have clearance to launch!"_

The helmsman turned in his chair. "The code on the gate was just changed," he reported.

"What a clever bunch they are," Waltfeld commented. "They'd have been better off leaving it as is. Activate main cannon and prepare to fire as soon as we launch." The Tiger looked back at Lacus. "Shall we?"

"Yes. The time has come for us to move forward." Lacus straightened in her chair. "_Eternal_, please go ahead and launch!"

The powerful ship's engines flared to life, and the _Eternal_ began to move forward. _"Commander Waltfeld, what are you doing?" _The port authority demanded irately. _"You don't have orders to leave. Cut your engines, _Eternal!"

Waltfeld ignored them completely. "Fire main cannon! Target: primary gate!"

The _Eternal_'s large, centerline beam cannon fired, discharging its huge green beam into the gate blocking off the harbor's exit, allowing the ship to slip through and into open space.

"They should sell tickets," Snake muttered, pressed against the wall; he'd forgotten to sit before acceleration hit, and now paid the price for his unusual slipup.

"Where's DaCosta?" Waltfeld inquired of his crew.

"On his way, sir."

At that moment, Martin DaCosta piloted a small, two-seat shuttle with Athrun in the rear, racing through a launch tunnel, completely ignoring the lightly-armed work shuttles that hung in their path. "Here we go!" he advised Athrun as they flew out into space, above the _Eternal_.

"Head to the aft hatch, DaCosta!" the Tiger ordered. "Maximum thrust as soon as he's aboard," he added to the helmsman. "This is a fast ship; we'll shake 'em."

* * *

On the nearby _Vesalius_, Rau Le Creuset stroked his chin. "Is that so? The _Eternal_'s gone? And Athrun, too?" The latter didn't terribly surprise him; he'd known of Athrun's divided loyalties since the day the _Archangel_ had departed Heliopolis. 

"We've orders to pursue them, sir!"

He shook his head. "Even the _Vesalius_ can't catch up to them at this point; we'll have to let the Jachin forces handle it."

Le Creuset smiled to himself. _Oh, this is _highly_ entertaining, Chairman Zala!_

* * *

Aboard the _Eternal_, the Bridge hatch opened once more, this time to admit Martin DaCosta and Athrun Zala, the latter with his arm in a sling. 

"Athrun, there you are! Good!" Lacus pushed away from her chair and floated over to the pilot. "Are you all right?"

"Lacus?" Athrun said in surprise, steadying her with his left hand.

"Welcome aboard the ship of the songstress," the Desert Tiger said, turning. "I'm Andrew Waltfeld, kid."

He blinked. "The Desert Tiger? Kevin's teacher? But you're-"

"That's what I thought, too," Snake commented, walking over. "Good to see you safely aboard, tovarisch."

His cousin glanced at him. "Kevin, I thought you said your mobile suit would be joining us?"

There was a _thud_ against the outer hull. "There it is," he said conversationally. "Attached to the hull by landing claw, till it can be brought inside."

Athrun met Snake's eyes. "Kevin, I saw you in my father's office back there. Did you...?"

Kevin shook his head. "No, Athrun, your father's still alive; I wasn't actually there, you see, just manifesting as a hologram. If looks could kill, though, he _would_ be dead." He raised an eyebrow. "So just what did he say that made you try to kill him?"

Athrun looked away. "He said... he said that there would be peace only when the last Natural was gone," he said, voice barely audible.

Snake winced. "Solkin syn. That explains some of Carnehan's words, back in Banadiya. I didn't think the good Chairman was _that_ far gone, though."

"We're approaching Jachin Due," Waltfeld called, interrupting them. "The Jachin forces are launching to intercept. Well, can't say I'm that surprised." He looked at the crew. "Ready main cannon! Activate CIWS!"

"Do you have any mobile suits aboard?' Athrun asked.

The Tiger smiled grimly. "Sorry, we're fresh out of those, unless you count the one attached to the hull. This ship was intended for the exclusive use of the Justice and the Freedom, and was later modified for the Stormhawk."

"The Stormhawk?" Snake repeated. "Why- oh, of course."

"Right," Waltfeld concurred. "Your wonder suit was briefly in the possession of ZAFT, and they liked what they saw." He shrugged. "But unfortunately, it means we don't even have any GINNs."

"And there's no time for me to board Stormhawk," Snake muttered. "Solkin syn."

Lacus stood. "Give me an open channel for outgoing communication," she requested.

"Roger that," Waltfeld agreed. A moment later, "Okay, you're on."

"Attention, Jachin Defense Forces," she began. "My name is Lacus Clyne. Though I am an enemy of Patrick Zala, because we have differing views on what the future should be like, I still have no desire to fight against you. Please, let our ship go in peace, and I beseech you all once again to think carefully about we should really be fighting against."

Some of the ZAFT pilots hesitated. "Commander?" one of them called, uncertain.

"Don't be swayed by her words," his squad leader told him. "Our orders are to attack, and that's what we're gonna do!"

One the _Eternal_'s Bridge, Waltfeld saw the lines of missile trajectories appear on the display. "It won't be easy for them to change their beliefs so quickly," he commented. "Very well, then. Commence interception!"

The rogue ship's countless missile launchers opened fire, sending out dozens of missiles to intercept the incoming warheads, detonating them well clear of the ship's hull.

"Are we having fun yet?" Snake's mutter went unnoticed, but it made _him_ slightly happier; he hated being in a battle without being able to affect the outcome.

"Please, try to avoid hitting the cockpits," Lacus requested.

"That won't be easy either," the Commander replied. "Main cannon, fire!"

Almost instantly several contacts faded from the display, but more were still appearing. "Never underestimate Jachin's defenses," Snake commented. "Something to remember; now I see how the Alliance's Fifth and Sixth Fleets were so easily stopped. And that was _before_ the place was converted into a fortress."

Another wave of missiles came in. "There's too many contacts to intercept!"

Waltfeld looked grim, Athrun nervous, and Lacus merely defiant. But the Snake looked oddly calm, eyes closed as his mind reached out. Then the jade eyes opened, and he smiled. "Kira's coming."

Not a second later, a green beam lanced out and blasted a missile to cinders, followed by two more as the Freedom sliced across space towards them. "It _is_ Kira!" Athrun said in surprise. "But-"

"He was hiding behind a resource rock," Snake informed him. "Just waiting for us to turn up."

Kira continued blasting missiles until there were few enough for the _Eternal_'s point defense to handle, then armed all his weapons and locked onto every mobile suit in range, before firing off his trademark multi-beam attack.

Within seconds, every GINN and CGUE in range was either disarmed or headless, leaving the _Eternal_ to fly on unhindered, with the Freedom providing escort.

_"This is Kira Yamato, in the Freedom,"_ came the call over the radio.

"Kira!" Lacus called happily.

Kira's face appeared on the screen. _"Is that Lacus?"_

"Yes!"

"Great work, youngster," Waltfeld said with a smile. "You saved our hides."

Kira's eyes were wide as saucers. _"Andrew Waltfeld? But... but I..."_

"No hard feelings, kid." The Tiger looked back at Snake. "So, Racher, where to? I think it'd be best if we link up with your friends."

"The L4 colonies," Snake replied. "Mendel was the place we were headed."

"Roger that." Waltfeld raised an eyebrow. "Still got the _Archangel_ with you? And your girlfriend?"

To Athrun's amusement, the super-soldier slowly drew his .45 Long Colt revolver and pointed it at his mentor's nose. "Andrushka," he said softly, dangerously (using the familiar form of Andrey, the Russian equivalent of Andrew), "do _not_ badger me about my love life, or lack thereof. I already have Kira, Athrun, and a battle computer doing it; I _don't_ need you adding to it, understand? And if you say any such thing in Cagalli's hearing, I'll plant a claymore mine where it'll really hurt... like your chair."

* * *

It was a long trip to the Mendel colony, which gave Kevin and Lacus a chance to catch up along the way. "You're looking better than when I last saw you," she commented; they were in the quarters he'd been assigned for the duration. "Last time..." 

"Last time about half my face was missing," he recalled. "Not fun, but I got over it." Kevin leaned against the wall. "So. I hear you've been 'singing the Song of Peace'; made a real nuisance of yourself to Chairman Zala, I gather."

"True," she agreed. Then she frowned, and folded her arms. "But I've heard _you_ haven't."

He blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? I think I just did a very adequate job of causing Patrick Zala trouble; or didn't you notice I helped break Athrun loose?"

"I didn't mean that," Lacus said, eyes uncharacteristically narrow. "I mean you haven't exactly been going out of your way to try reduce casualties in this war; or did I hear wrong about what happened in Orb?"

Kevin's own eyes narrowed. "Did you expect otherwise, Cousin? You _know_ what they just did to my homeland; I don't care about the government, but they took away my home, and they hurt the one most important to me. How did you expect I would react?"

"Killing isn't the answer, Kevin," she said sternly. "I've heard you talk so much of avenging yourself; but is that really how you want to be remembered? As a cold-blooded killer?"

"I can't help what I am, Lacus," he answered. "Let me remind you that this is a war; people die in war. That's a fact, and I think you know it. All we can do is try to end it as quickly as possible, and if that means using the tactics I have, so be it. They're a sight better than either side has used in the past. And as for avenging myself..." His eyes chilled. "You know what they did to me, Lacus. Both sides. Can you really blame me?"

"Revenge is an endless cycle-" Lacus began.

"I don't think so," Kevin interrupted. "And even were it true, I wouldn't really care just now." He closed his eyes. "First: Blue Cosmos, the group which is currently manipulating Earth Alliance policy, assassinated my parents, and later chased me across the entire bloody planet for over a year. Second: ZAFT kidnapped me, turned me into a cybernetically-augmented killing machine, wiped my memory, and made my life a living hell for six months- no, even longer than that!" Unexpectedly, he pulled off his jacket and gloves, baring his arms and hands. "See these, Lacus? See the scars? You should know by now how I got them. Do you really expect to leave the people who did this to me unpunished?" He reached down, drew his combat knife, and, to Lacus' shock and horror, sliced open the skin of his own right arm.

She gasped, and then noticed something very strange about the wound. "Kevin, what on earth-"

"See this?" Kevin demanded. "It doesn't bleed, Lacus. It doesn't bleed, because it's not flesh and blood anymore. It's a mechanical construct, just a collection of metal and polymer, no longer human. I lost the original when Jack Carter nearly blew me in half with an antitank gun; and Jack Carter wouldn't have existed had ZAFT not already done so much to me!"

Lacus realized then that trying to convince her cousin to change his ways was a complete waste of time. _It's too ingrained, _she realized. _He's spent so much time fighting for his life that he doesn't no how else to solve problems._ _And,_ she admitted to herself, deep down, _maybe this time... he's right. Vengeance certainly isn't the answer, but those who did this to him have to be punished _somehow;_ anyway, there's no way to convince him not to._

She decided it was time to change the subject. The one she had in mind would also likely irritate him, but not nearly as badly. Besides, if _she_ didn't have the right to tease him about it, who did?

"So," Lacus asked sweetly, "just who is this 'girlfriend' Commander Waltfeld mentioned?"

As anticipated, Kevin looked about ready to explode. _But it's Lacus, your favored cousin,_ he told himself. _So you can't threaten to blow _her_ head off._

He took a deep, calming breath. "First of all, Lacus," he said with forced patience, "she isn't my girlfriend, rumors to the contrary notwithstanding. She's merely a very good friend; the very one we discussed some months ago, on the _Archangel_. Her name is Cagalli Yula Athha, and, up until a few days ago, her father was leader of Orb."

Lacus nodded in comprehension. "I should have realized; the Princess of Orb. I've heard of her, of course, but she always kept a low profile." She tilted her head. "So, why are you so irritated by the rumors if there's no truth to them?"

Kevin paused, looking at her uncertainly, then shrugged. _If I can't tell her, who _can_ I tell?_

He took a deep breath. "Because it _should_ have been true, Lacus. Had things not gone as they did three and a half years ago, it probably _would_ have been; maybe the one thing those old -deceased- idiots in the Orb nobility ever got right."

She frowned, confused. "But why...?"

"Remember Project ABADDON? Remember how that ended? Bad things happen to those whom I care too much for, Lacus. That's been an inescapable part of my life for years now." Kevin shook his head. "No, I can't risk it."

Lacus lightly touched his face. "Kevin... that was years ago. It's over. _You_ should have the chance to be happy, too."

"Didn't say I was unhappy, tovarisch; just that I wish it could be more. But it can't, and that's that. I'd really appreciate it if you not argue with me, either, okay?" He managed a rueful chuckle. "I've already got both surrogate brothers, the Hawk of Endymion, the Desert Tiger, and a battle computer doing it. I _really_ don't want to hear it, okay?"

"Very well, then," she agreed. _But don't think this is over, Cousin. No matter how hard you try to deny it, it'll come out, sooner or later..._ "So tell me," she said aloud. "About her. What's she like? There's never been much publicized about her..."

"You don't know the half of it," Kevin told her. "Let me give you some advice about dealing with Cagalli: first of all, she hates being a princess, and _really_ hates being called one. Second, if you value your life, never suggest to her that she wear a dress..."

* * *

Four days later, the _Eternal_ slowly slid backwards into the Mendel colony's harbor, joining the _Archangel_ and _Kusanagi_, both of which had arrived days earlier. 

Soon, small contingents from the _Eternal_ and _Archangel_ met in a room overlooking the harbor. "Begging your pardon, Ma'am," Waltfeld said, saluting with his remaining hand, "but I'm Andrew Waltfeld. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Ramius returned the salute. "Likewise, Commander." Lowering her hand, she smiled. "I have to admit, this is quite a surprise."

"I'd say the feeling's mutual, right, youngster?" he replied, turning to Kira.

The young pilot looked troubled. "You have a real reason to want revenge on me."

"That's what happens in a war," Waltfeld said, shrugging it off. "Everybody has _some_ kind of reason... yet no one does."

"Thank you." Kira glanced pointedly at Snake, but gave up when the super-soldier met his gaze behind his shades. _We'll never convince _him_ of that; and maybe we wouldn't want to. Kevin is Kevin, even if he's earned the name Snake; we wouldn't have him any other way._ He thought momentarily of his sister, which prompted a smile. _Cagalli wouldn't, anyway._

* * *

"You're always getting hurt," Cagalli observed to Athrun a little later; they were the only ones left in the room. "You should try being a little more careful," she advised, looking at the sling his right arm rested in. 

"Yeah." Athrun tilted his head. "It was your amulet that saved me."

"Did it really? That's good to hear." Cagalli looked out across the harbor, to a room on another wall, where Kira and Lacus were talking. "It's amazing," she said quietly. "She escaped with that huge ship. She's... really something."

"Hm. Yeah, she is," Athrun agreed.

She turned to him. "Don't you mind? She _is_ your fiancé, after all."

He thought for a few moments, observing; it was obvious to him that Lacus was head over heals for his friend. Probably had been for some time now. "Ex-fiancé," Athrun said finally. "Because I was such a fool."

Cagalli blinked, then smiled. "Well... better to realize that now, than when it's too late, right?" She looked up at the two again. "And _I_ think Kira's just as much of a fool. Mm-hmm. I guess even Coordinators do stupid things. So, I guess we should just get used to it."

Athrun cracked a smile. "You think so? I guess you're right."

"I think Kevin's one, too," she went on, more seriously. Her friend was in his flight suit, hanging in the vacuum of the harbor, apparently deep in thought. "He's dwelling too much on the past," Cagalli said. "He's still worried about what he did when he was with ZAFT."

"Not as much as he used to be," Athrun pointed out. "I think he's coming to terms with it." He looked very sober, and a little sad for a moment. "He'll be even better off after he kills the Chairman," he continued, no longer even calling Zala his father. "I wish him luck."

Cagalli looked at him in surprise. _What did your father do to you,_ she wondered, _to make you actively _hope_ Kevin manages to kill him?_ She turned back to the window, and smiled. "Yeah, maybe. But when are we going to find him a girlfriend?" she said fondly.

Athrun gave her a strange look.

* * *

Author's note: The Three Ships Alliance is assembled, and Kevin Walker has met his assassin clone at last. Very soon, the Mendel colony will come under attack, and the final secrets of the super-soldier's origins will be revealed… 

Daniel Lynx, I imagine nothing here surprised you; but upcoming events, I suspect, almost certainly will. You'll see what I mean.

RVD, I hope it lived up to your expectations.

As for Athrun having a conversation with Max, part of it was that I prefer to have my OCs properly tied into the plot; this is the first story where I've really managed that. In past efforts, it was almost exclusively only the main OC who interacted with the canonical cast at all; I think I've finally broken free of that trend, though.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, let's just that it's getting fairly close to that. It won't be _too_ long now.

Shinji Ikari, first of all, my apologies for the spoiler; I'll be more careful in the future (though I might point out there are considerably more such references in various reviews).

As for the hyper jammers… we'll see. I'm not sure where such an explanation would fit, though I'm giving consideration to your notion of a glossary. Something I'll have to think about.

With the Kevin/Cagalli aspects, my original intention _was_ to have them merely as close friends; but that was when I first started the story, before I'd seen past Phase 25 or so. I'd assumed a different paring at the time, and when I _did_ learn how things went later in the series, just didn't think it made any sense. Besides, as is often the case, that's just how the story worked out.

I'll give a certain amount of consideration to your comments regarding the character interaction; however, I'm afraid I don't quite agree that it's as bad as you say. I've read more science fiction than I can keep track off, and from my experience I'd say I'm not doing _too_ badly.

Some of the concerns, as it has happens, I was intending to address anyway: after the completion of Brothers in Arms, I'll be posting a series of one-shots, a sort of side story to Brothers in Arms, with scenes that just didn't seem to fit anywhere in the main story, or scenes from the main story that I want to expand upon, from a given character's perspective. I've already got a couple of these in the works, and I think there will be several more.

As you can see, I did finally provide an explanation for Kevin breaking off his attack on Azrael; again, it was apparently a case of my being accidentally subtle.

Now… I'm afraid I do _not_ agree with your main criticism of the chapter. First of all, you're forgetting Kira's link with Kevin; _he_, at least, would likely already know exactly what went down in those final moments.

Second, just how the _blazes_ would they _expect_ Kevin to react? He just had his homeland conquered by one of the people he hates most in the entire world; they know him well enough to know what he'd do, and why; and perhaps I should mention _Kira's_ goal was also the defeat of the Atlantic Federation forces? Maybe he wouldn't use the same tactics, but he'd know full well what Kevin would do if it came down to it. I believe it's also already established that he's somewhat resigned to it by now.

As for Athrun, remember that, unlike Kira, he doesn't seem to have any problem with outright destroying his enemies. And, again, he should know Kevin well enough by then.

And Cagalli _certainly_ wouldn't chew him out over it, even if she hadn't just lost her father. For example, you quite clearly see her "blowing up everything in sight" in Phase 49, after the Astray test pilot get offed. I find it very difficult to believe she'd have any problem with his actions, particularly since they were in _Orb's_ defense.

You'll note that I already addressed the point regarding Lacus, so I don't see any need to expound upon it further.

I might well have included events involving the characters from the Astray series… except that I know next to nothing about it. A little difficult to talk about events one has no knowledge of, wouldn't you say? They may well be mentioned from time to time, but I can do nothing more than that.

I'm glad you at least approved of my tweaking of the various scenes; it was a little tricky, modifying Athrun and Mu's discussion without changing the tone of it, which seemed fairly important. As for Frank Castile, well, fortunately for your blood pressure he's a fairly minor character. That wasn't his last appearance, but he doesn't turn up very often, either.

Now, the Kevin/Athrun/Max conversation was kind of spur of the moment; it started essentially as filler, and ended up being very long and involved. Covered some points I figured needed to be covered, and had Athrun interacting with an OC besides Kevin or one of his clones.

I actually had no intention of using that particular cliché for the actual event. For one thing, telling Kevin to "enjoy the time he has left" is probably not a smart move, especially when you consider the fact that his life expectancy is on the order of two _centuries;_ considerably longer than those close to him. Of course, since no Destroyer has actually had the chance to live that long yet, there's no way to know how long he'll actually live. (I seem to be getting off-topic; compulsive explanations seem to be a habit of mine.)

As it happens, the reason _I_ thought it obvious Cagalli is a Coordinator is her "What _am_ I?" line in Phase 41. I do agree, though, that it's a little strange no Natural in the series seems to "bear the SEED". I always suspected La Flaga did, but you never see anything of that sort.

It won't be much longer till it reaches the encounter with Le Creuset in the GARM facility. I'll go over it again, of course, but I think I pulled off his mannerisms well (of course, there are a few things I need to add, based on more recent plot decisions I've made).

Sigh. Another hour spent writing author's notes; I sometimes think I spend more time on them than on the chapters themselves. Oh, well, at least it tends to be interesting. Anyway, read and let me know what you think. -Solid Shark


	30. Chapter 30: The Enemy is Us

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Jack Carter, Invictus, and Max

* * *

It was two days after the _Eternal_ had reached the Mendel colony. The once-mysterious -and still aloof, reticent, and otherwise peculiar- super-soldier known to friends and enemies as Snake wandered the halls of the long-abandoned space station, deep in thought. 

_Yes,_ he mused._ Yes, I was here. It's still hazy -and I hope it always will be- but I _was_ here. Thank all that is holy that no one actually _died_ of the biohazard. I have enough on my conscience._

"Hey, Snake," a voice called from behind him.

Snake turned, recognizing the voice and face; they were his, after all. The only reason he had not felt the approach of his clone was his lack of attention toward the outside world. "Yeah, John? Something up?" Invictus was the only name the cloned assassin would call his own, but most people called him by his most common alias: John Tyler, taken from "his" father's name.

"Been meaning to talk to you, mate." Invictus was the only clone to have all of Kevin Walker's original memories, but he had been created three years earlier, from samples taken before Kevin's "wilderness years". The result was that his personality was subtly different, having been shaped by different events, and his mannerisms had been altered somewhat by a stay in Australia. "Got a minute?"

"Sure, why not." Kevin stopped and leaned against the wall, already idly twirling his Colt revolver. "What's on your mind, oh stealth assassin?"

"A mutual friend of ours." Invictus tilted his head. "Or perhaps I should say, of mine."

"Care to be more specific?" Snake had his poetic, long-winded side, but he usually preferred to get to the point. "Or am I going to have blow open your brainpan and dig it out myself?"

The assassin winced. "No, no, no. You don't want to do that. Believe me, brother, killing yourself feels _really_ creepy. I should know; I've killed twenty-one of us. Anyway," he said hastily, seeing the Colt stop spinning, "I'm talking about Cagalli."

"Ah. Of course." Cagalli had already met the clone, and despite Invictus' fears, she'd accepted him easily enough. She regarded him more like Kevin's brother than his clone, so the two got along just fine... though not as well as she got along with the original. "I thought things were going smoothly."

"They are. It's not _me_ I'm talking about, mate." Invictus' eyes narrowed. "It's you. Now, I 'remember' pretty well how you two were back in Orb, before ABADDON. You were always close, very close, despite Lord Uzumi's disapproval. The thing is, I _also_ bloody well know how you really feel about her, mate. So why-"

"Who do you think you are, a dating service?" Kevin snapped irritably. _First my best friends, then a battle computer, then Andy, and now _him_! Give me a break._

"No," the clone said calmly. "I'm your other half. I know your head better than anybody, so why don't you listen to what I have to say?"

"Because you'll just say the same things everybody else has, and I'll just say the same things I said to them, and it'll all have been pointless. So why don't we skip to the part where I threaten to blow your head off if you don't drop it?"

Anyone overhearing the argument would have been convinced they were dealing with someone with multiple personality disorder. Nor would they be far off, for Kevin was, in essence, arguing with himself. And his "other half" wasn't backing down.

"Look," Invictus persisted. "I know what you're afraid of; by now, I know all about the final minutes at the lab, and the number of friends you've lost along the way. But let me ask you something: how many people have died in your vicinity in the last few months?"

Snake tilted his head back, suspicious. "Well, let's see," he said, curious nonetheless. "A few ZAFT pilots on the way out of the PLANTs; several Justice Ministry flunkies I converted to ash in Aprilius One; a few hundred Earth Forces soldiers when I blitzed the fleet on my way out of Orb; several hundred Earth Forces and ZAFT soldiers at Alaska; and Nicol Amalfi, back in the Pacific Ocean. Why?"

"How many of those people were friends of yours?"

His eyes narrowed. "Just Nicol, and I hadn't seen him in years, anyway. What's your point? Kira nearly got vaporized in the Aegis Incident, and the whole ship's been in danger often enough."

Invictus smirked. "But they _didn't _die, now did they? Don't you get it, Snake? The Grim Reaper's either given up or has fallen so far behind that it'll take him a hundred years to catch up. Mate, it's about time you realize Fate has taken a different path now. You can try living like a real human being now, a human being with real feelings."

Snake rolled his eyes. _Gotta be the Australian trip. I _know_ I was never that much of a philosopher!_ "I think I know where you're going with this," he said aloud. "But there's one thing: Cagalli and I are friends, nothing more. How do I know she feels the same way?"

The assassin shook his head. "I think you know better than that, mate. You know her well enough. If it hadn't been for ABADDON, you'd have gotten together long since. And if you hadn't been a schizophrenic wreck when you reunited in the desert, it would have happened then. Everything since has just been rationalizations."

Kevin sighed. _How do you argue with someone who knows your head as well as you do?_ "Maybe that's true," he said finally. "But if it is, why haven't _you_ made a move?"

"Don't be an idiot, Snake," Invictus said quietly. "I know bloody well that I'm not the same as you. I could never replace you. And besides, you've got a prior claim. I know, I know," he added hastily, "Cagalli isn't anybody's to be 'claimed'. But the fact is, you two should be together. There. I said it. _Now_ you can blow my head off."

Snake simply looked at him for a moment, expression unreadable, then abruptly left, heading deeper into the abandoned colony's labyrinthine corridors.

* * *

Later, Invictus was once again wandering the colony, when he found Athrun at an observation window, looking out at the three ships. 

Through his own empathic sense, the assassin sensed his friend's turmoil, and sighed inwardly. _Great, someone else whose head needs to be straightened out._

"Thinking about your father?" Invictus asked softly.

Athrun jerked; he hadn't realized anyone else was there. "John? Where'd you come from?" The clone merely smiled, and Athrun sighed. "Yeah, I'm thinking about him."

"That's what I thought. I gather your meeting was... less than amicable."

"You could say that." He laughed humorlessly. "He shot me; I wouldn't exactly call that amicable, sure."

"That's what I thought," Invictus said again. "But I think there's more to it than that... isn't there, mate."

Athrun looked at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't bother denying it; or I'll call you an idiot more than once." _Good thing Kevin isn't here; he has trouble being objective where Patrick Zala is concerned._ "You finally found out he wants to wipe out all Naturals, right?"

The blue-haired pilot blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. You... already knew, huh?"

"Kevin did, and he told me; not that it needed a rocket scientist." Invictus tilted his head. "You're wondering how you could have failed to notice; and you're wondering if you could have done something about it." The assassin gripped his friend's shoulder. "Listen to me, Athrun: _there was nothing you could have done."_

"And how am I supposed to know that?" Athrun demanded. "How do I know I couldn't have changed his mind somehow? How do I know my desertion wasn't part of it?"

Invictus sighed. "Athrun, you are not your father. You can't see into his head, you can't know what put him on this road. But it happened long before _you_ could have affected it."

"How do I know for sure?" Athrun wondered. "How do I know... I'm not the same as he is?"

"Because _we_ know," the assassin said simply. "Your friends... including a couple who _can_ look inside your head, your emotions."

_Can it be that simple?_ Athrun thought. _Maybe so..._

He began to accept the truth, and before long would prove it in battle.

* * *

"The colony was abandoned because of some kind of biohazard threat, right?" Waltfeld was saying to La Flaga, as they made their way to the _Archangel_'s Bridge. "That might be why this is more intact than the rest of the colonies." 

"Yeah, I remember the Mendel Incident pretty well," La Flaga agreed. "Though it seems our friend with the many copies was actually responsible for it."

The Tiger raised an eyebrow. "Racher did it? Seems a little strange, since he was with ZAFT back then."

The Hawk shrugged. "From what we can tell, Oracle was crazy enough and determined enough to start a war that he made a deal with Blue Cosmos; Snake was apparently working for Muruta Azrael himself for that mission. Beyond that, we don't know a thing, since his memory is still pretty fuzzy in places."

"Doesn't matter," Waltfeld pronounced. "Oracle is dead, and so is Hydra." He smiled. "We ought to be grateful, when you think about it."

"Yeah; makes it a perfect place to pitch our tents."

The two dropped the subject the instant the Bridge doors opened; Kevin was there, floating unobtrusively behind Cagalli, and he hated to be reminded of certain parts of his past... such as the incident they'd just been discussing. It was bad enough for him to even _be_ there.

"Our primary concern should be probably be the Moon," Lacus began without preamble; she was, as usual, near Kira. "Since they recaptured Victoria, the Earth Forces have been continuously launching troops into space."

La Flaga, having drifted over to Ramius, nodded thoughtfully. "Think they're preparing to attack the PLANTs directly?"

"There are a lot of people in their forces who've always wanted to do it," Waltfeld concurred. "'For the preservation of our blue and pure world'."

"That's enough," the pilot said sharply.

The Desert Tiger shrugged. "Hey, they're the ones saying it, not me."

La Flaga looked slightly sheepish. "I know, but... you're right."

"I don't see how eradicating all Coordinators would lead to a pure world." Waltfeld snorted. "I don't even know what a 'pure world' _is_. But I can't blame the PLANTs for fighting back, after being attacked for such a ludicrous reason."

"But my father... Chairman Zala is taking it way too far," Athrun put in, between Kira and Kevin. "He's going for the opposite extreme."

"We can still fight back," Ramius said, taking La Flaga's arm. "We must at least try to put an end to it, even if it costs us our lives."

"Yeah," Kevin agreed darkly, speaking for the first time. "Blue Cosmos, Patrick Zala..." He shook his head. "Does thinking you're the last sane man in the world make you crazy? If it does, then maybe I am."

Cagalli smiled and grabbed his shoulder. "If you're crazy, then so are the rest of us."

Lacus looked first at her, then at Kira. "In every era, there are those like us, who seek to put an end to such meaningless strife. Don't you want to bring about an era where that isn't necessary?"

Kira smiled. "You bet."

Snake slowly shook his head. "That would be great, but-"

"I don't believe it's possible," Invictus finished, from the front of the Bridge. "I-"

"-don't believe in world peace." Kevin glared briefly at his clone. "And if you don't stop finishing my sentences, I'll make you rest in 'piece'. More than one."

La Flaga grinned at the byplay; he'd heard rumors of Le Creuset's private assassin, before Heliopolis. Actually meeting the feared killer had been... interesting, especially when seeing him argue with the original.

Lacus, however, looked sternly at the pair. "Don't you believe in giving peace a chance? One day, we can end war. Forever."

"Sorry, Cousin," Snake said quietly. "But the fact is, as long as there are people there will always be war. Look at World War I, back in the twentieth A.D. They called it the 'War to End All Wars', but it was but the first of many wars that century. There will always be those who wish to take what others have by force, or want to destroy others because they're different."

"In war, each side strives for justice," Invictus concurred, "but they each have a different idea of what 'justice' is, and how it should be obtained."

"And so all those who strike at the enemy, do so for their just cause," Kevin finished.

La Flaga glanced from one Walker to the other. "_That_ sounded like a speech."

"Kevin has an argument for all occasions, Commander," Athrun advised him. "You never know what might be lurking in his -or their- head, just waiting for an unsuspecting speaker to say something."

"Not much use arguing with him, either," Cagalli agreed. "He'll talk your ears off; worse, he's usually right."

No one argued with that.

* * *

The next several days were largely uneventful, for the members of the Three Ships Alliance, as the group had come to be called. Their time was spent offloading supplies the _Eternal_ had brought along, setting up facilities, and generally planning their next move. 

Waltfeld and Snake, reunited and on the same side at last, were in the thick of the strategy meetings, teacher and pupil exercising their tactical muscles. Plans and contingency plans were made; much coffee was drunk.

The whole time, Kevin was slightly on edge; while he was slowly becoming accustomed to Mendel, it still bothered him, and he had the distinct feeling that something would be happening soon. Either the Earth Forces or ZAFT would find them soon; probably both, since ZAFT had no doubt computed the _Eternal_'s vector, and Muruta Azrael had fiendishly good intelligence sources in the PLANTs.

Snake also had his clone's words to consider. _But,_ he told himself, _who can afford to love in a situation like this?_

_Kira and Lacus,_ another part of his mind replied._ And Murrue and Mu._

_Worry about it later,_ he decided.

Meanwhile, Murrue was working out organizational details with Kira, Athrun, and Lacus. "If the _Eternal_ was specifically designed to support the Justice and the Freedom," she was saying to Lacus, "then we'll transfer them over to you." The pink-haired girl nodded. "We'll keep... the Strike, Buster, and Wraith." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "But what about the Stormhawk?"

Kevin's image stepped up behind Kira. _"Andy tells me the plans were modified to accommodate the Stormhawk while it was in their hands; I'll go with Kira and Athrun."_

Ramius looked at Kira. "Is that alright?"

Kira nodded. _"That's fine; we'll transfer over to the _Eternal_, then."_ Athrun also concurred, removing his sling at the same time.

* * *

Their time of rest was vanishing faster than they knew, as the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_ cruised toward the Mendel colony. Twin to the _Archangel_, her captain was someone the rogue ship's crew knew very well. 

Captain Natarle Badgiruel watched Mendel grow larger on the screen, studiously ignoring the presence of Muruta Azrael, who sat a couple of meters to her left.

"Three warship silhouettes detected inside the colony's harbor," her fire-control officer reported. "One of them is confirmed to be the _Archangel_."

Badgiruel grimaced; she'd follow orders, but she had hoped she wouldn't have to fight her old comrades. Azrael, on the other hand, had no such difficulty.

"You can destroy the ships if you want," he said with a smile. "All I care about are those two mobile suits." That was the reason Blue Cosmos' leader had come in person: he had deduced the existence of N-jammer cancellers, and he wanted the powerful machines that carried them. What he was unaware of, of course, was that there was a third... one whose pilot had every reason to hate him personally.

Badgiruel didn't look at him. "Ready Valiants and Lohengrin. Load missile tubes with Sledgehammer missiles; target the first ship of the _Archangel_-class: the _Archangel_."

* * *

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Sai was suddenly very alert. "Captain! Large heat source detected, probably warship-type!" 

"I knew it couldn't last," Ramius said grimly. "Prepare the ship for launch!"

Sai immediately put out the alert over the intercom. _"All hands to Level One Battlestations! All hands to Level One Battlestations! All hands to Level One Battlestations!"_ As the alert rang out, the colony shook under a powerful blast.

All over the three ships, personnel rushed about, readying themselves and the ships for battle. Pilots hurried to their machines, and orders rang out.

"Launch _Archangel_," Ramius ordered. "Load all aft missile tubes; arm Valiants and Gottfrieds. Activate Igelstellungs."

_"Captain Ramius,"_ Kisaka called from her left-hand intercom screen; he was on his own Bridge.

"What's the _Kusanagi_'s status?"

_"We're ready,"_ he assured her.

"Good. Follow us out."

_"We're still making a few last-minute adjustments," _Waltfeld said from the other screen; he was aboard_ Eternal. "It'll be a few more minutes."_

"Roger that," Ramius acknowledged. "You'll be safer here in the harbor; we'll have a better idea of what they're after once we determine if they're ZAFT or Earth Forces."

"Thanks; we appreciate it."

The _Archangel_ flew swiftly out of the Mendel harbor, followed by the _Kusanagi_, and for the first time in two months, Natarle Badgiruel came face-to-face with her old ship.

* * *

On the _Dominion_'s Bridge, crew were still making reports. "The _Archangel_ has launched, followed by an unidentified ship." 

Badgiruel sat still for a few moments, warring with herself, then suddenly stood and lifted the handset on her armrest. "This is Earth Forces Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_," she called. "_Archangel_, do you read me?"

On _Archangel_'s Bridge, people gasped. "Natarle?" Ramius whispered.

"Lieutenant Badgiruel," Neumann echoed.

"Captain!" Mir called. "We have a visual image of the enemy ship!"

Heads turned toward the starboard view screen, which showed them another shock: the _Dominion_, despite its ominous color scheme, looked eerily familiar...

"The _Archangel_," Sai whispered.

"The same class," Neumann concurred.

Badgiruel's image appeared on the main screen. _"Captain Ramius,"_ she said. _"It's been... some time."_

"It has," Murrue agreed.

_"The military has designated you as a renegade ship,"_ their former crewmate advised them._ "Therefore, I have no choice but to demand your immediate surrender. If you do not comply, I will be forced to destroy you. You're well aware of this ship's capabilities,"_ Badgiruel added.

In his cockpit, Snake's feelings were torn between dismay at having to face his former comrade, and satisfaction as he realized they had one trump card Badgiruel knew nothing about: not only were they well aware of the _Dominion_'s capabilities, but they also had the person who had written the software for the _Archangel_-class with them.

Snake had buried many, many trapdoors in the programming...

_"I heard about Alaska,"_ Badgiruel went on in a softer voice._ "Nevertheless, I ask you to turn yourselves in and discuss the matter with the authorities. I don't have much influence, but I'll do what I can."_

Ramius met Badgiruel's eyes on the screen, eyes sad but determined. "I appreciate your concern, Natarle, but I'm afraid you don't understand our position. This isn't just about Alaska; we have serious doubts about the Earth Forces in their entirety." Her eyes hardened. "No surrender, no return to the military!"

_"But, Captain Ramius-"_

_"Bravo, Captain,"_ Azrael interrupted from off-screen. When Badgiruel turned to glare at him, he smiled._ "That was quite impressive. You should be embarrassed, Captain,"_ he added almost as an afterthought._ "We wouldn't be in this situation if all problems could be resolved simply through negotiation. The fact of the matter is, when you have misunderstandings, you have enemies; and when you have enemies, you shoot them."_

"Director Azrael-!"

Heads turned on the _Archangel_ and aboard her mobile suits as the name registered; but before anyone could give voice to it, they heard the man giving orders. _"Calamity, Forbidden, Raider: launch!"_

"So Kevin was right," Mir murmured.

"The leader of Blue Cosmos is here personally," Neumann growled. "Bastard!"

* * *

On the _Dominion_'s Bridge, Badgiruel was quite irritated with Azrael's presumptive orders. But she could do nothing about it, so she began snapping out her own. "I want missile tubes one to six loaded; set the Korinthos/ Valiant systems to auto-control pattern B, target Orange Alpha seventeen through forty-two. Set firing angles five points apart; meanwhile, change our course to Indigo Thirteen mark twenty Charlie, maximum thrust!" 

Azrael looked at her curiously. "That's not their location, so why bother firing your missiles there?"

She spared him a glance. "Please keep quiet if you don't understand the plan."

Aboard the _Archangel_, Mir called out a report. "Mobile suits launching from enemy ship!"

"Roger." Ramius keyed her intercom. "Kira, Mu!"

_"Roger! Let's do it!"_ Kira replied, and the Freedom soared out the starboard catapult.

The Strike settled into the port. _"Course is clear,"_ Mir told La Flaga, as the recreated Launcher Striker pack was equipped. _"You're clear to launch."_

"Roger that. Mu La Flaga, launching!"

Athrun was next up, following immediately behind the Strike. "Athrun Zala, launching Justice!"

Tolle's Wraith followed the Freedom's path, onto the starboard catapult. "Tolle here. I'm ready."

_"Be careful, Tolle,"_ Mir called. As always, she worried; especially after the Aegis Incident. _"Max, take care of him for me, okay?"_

"Don't worry, Mir," the battle computer told her over her pilot's aggrieved sigh. "I'll make sure he doesn't blow himself up. For the both of us."

As the bat-winged, demon-like machine launched, Dearka smiled to himself. _Glad _I_ don't have that machine to deal with. Must be awkward, when your mobile suit's in love with you. Snake's right, it's a good thing Max isn't flesh-and-blood, or she and Mir would kill each other._

The ex-ZAFT pilot raised his hand in a salute as Mir's image appeared on his monitor. "Buster here. I'm ready."

"Roger, Buster. You're clear for launch."

Then, at last, it was Snake's turn to launch, in his unique, powerful machine. "Snake to Bridge, I'm ready to go. Just give the word."

_"Go ahead, Stormhawk,"_ Mir replied._ "Good luck out there."_

With the last mobile suit away, Ramius issued orders. "Strike, Buster, Wraith; you three protect the ship. Kira, Athrun, try to keep those mobile suits busy. Kevin..." She hesitated, then smiled. "Do you have any tricks you can use to slow them down?"

Snake smiled back from the monitor. _"Indeed I do, Murrue. Give me a few minutes, though; I'd prefer to be closer, and it'll take me that long to remember them all. This _was_ over three years ago, remember."_

"Do what you can."

_"Do what you can", she says,_ Kevin thought to himself, smile widening._ Oh, we'll do some damage, to be sure. Time to remind Natarle of one of Sturm Falke's more interesting features. Or several of them._

* * *

Before long, the battle was joined. The Strike and Buster engaged the numerous Strike Daggers that the _Dominion_ had deployed, Kira and Athrun confronted the three enemy Gundams, and Tolle flickered in and out of cloak, using his hyper jammers and beam scythe to lethal effect. 

"Slash, slash, slash!" he shouted, appearing from nowhere and cutting a Dagger in half, an instant later, when the fallen machine's partner attempted to retaliate, Wraith was gone.

"Athrun!" Kira called. "It's those guys!"

"I know!" Athrun looked over at the Stormhawk. "Kevin, are you ready?"

"Nearly," the super-soldier replied. "I'm still trying to remember the codes, but it won't be much longer. In the meantime..." His buster rifles snapped together, and he aimed at a formation of Strike Daggers.

When the three-hundred-meter-diameter azure column flashed out across space, Natarle Badgiruel shot to her feet so fast she began to drift toward the ceiling. "Get me a closeup visual of that mobile suit!" she ordered.

Azrael looked at her curiously. "What's wrong, Captain? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I have, Director." Badgiruel stared at the image. "That doesn't exist anymore," she whispered.

He frowned. "You're familiar with it?"

"I ought to be! That's the MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke," Badgiruel informed him. "Orb's secret weapon. That machine flew off the _Archangel_ briefly, making two sorties before being destroyed when the Aegis self-destructed."

Azrael's frown deepened. "There's no record of any such machine being present aboard the _Archangel_."

"Of course there isn't," she replied harshly. "The pilot has hacking skills you wouldn't believe; as near as we could tell afterwards, he left a worm in the ship's computer, which erased all trace of his presence and that of his machine. And yes, Director, we deliberately avoided mentioning him at the board of inquiry; one pilot had already been raked over the coals. There was no reason to add Snake to the equation." She was quite unapologetic about the whole thing; she and Snake had begun to patch things up by the time of his... disappearance, and to her surprise she'd actually begun to like him, especially after his character was vouched for by the revelation of his noble birth. "But as I said, it was destroyed in April."

"How can you be sure it's the same machine?" Azrael (seemingly) sensibly inquired. "Orb might have built another."

Badgiruel shook her head firmly. "No, Director, they couldn't. It's made of a rare, radar-absorbing alloy... and there's only one man who can use that OS without losing his mind. No, that's the original Stormhawk, without a doubt." She lifted her handset. "_Dominion_ calling Stormhawk. Lieutenant Kevin Walker, is that you?"

The distinctive black flight suit with opaque visor appeared on the monitor. _"Lieutenant- Excuse me, _Captain_ Badgiruel. The one Earth Forces officer I'd hoped never to fight."_

"The feeling's mutual, Snake," Badgiruel said truthfully. "Though I didn't expect it to come to pass. You're supposed to be dead; and I thought you took oaths seriously."

_"I cannot die,"_ he said quietly, depolarizing his visor._ "Not until that time arrives. And yes, Natarle, I _do_ take my oaths seriously. But I haven't betrayed any. I held rank, true; but you know as well as I that was a courtesy from Admiral Halberton. All I did was return to my homeland when it became clear just how corrupt the Earth Alliance had become." _Snake paused, expression turning uncharacteristically pained._ "Natarle,"_ he said softly,_ "I ask you this: Consider very carefully what you're doing. Ask yourself if you truly want to be tarred with the same brush as Muruta Azrael, the man who killed my parents. Ask yourself if you want to side with those who tried to incinerate us as_ bait!"

She shook her head. "I'm doing what duty demands, Snake. Same as you."

_"All those who strike at the enemy do so for their just cause,"_ the super-soldier said with a sigh._ "Very well, Natarle. If that's what you think is right, I respect that. But I have every intention of turning that piece of human waste next to you into charcoal, and the only way to do that, and protect my friends, is to blow you out of space."_ His image winked out.

Badgiruel immediately looked back at her fire control officer. "Designate MBF-M1000 Stormhawk as a priority target! Don't let him anywhere near."

Azrael looked at her. "Captain, that machine is obviously equipped with a Neutron-jammer canceler. If we can capture it-"

"You don't want to do that," she said evenly. "Not unless you want to die."

He looked taken aback. "Pardon me?"

"Director, the Stormhawk is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device," she explained flatly. "Kevin Walker is someone who happens to have absolutely no fear of death -hard to blame him, since he's been dead at least three times- so he wouldn't hesitate to blow us all to pieces. But what's worse is the possibility that he _wouldn't_ self-destruct." Badgiruel looked very grim. "We don't want him loose aboard this ship, Director. In all probability, he'd kill every single one of us. We'd have no chance of stopping him."

"Come now, Captain," Azrael said condescendingly. "He's only one man, and we have plenty of armed guards-"

"Fine," she snapped, "_you_ try and shoot him. Aim for his head, and he'll ignore it. Aim anywhere else, and the bullet won't even reach his body. That's the final product of Project ABADDON, Director. The last of the Destroyers."

"Oh," he said simply. _"Oh,"_ he added a moment later. Muruta Azrael was many things, but a fool was not one of them. He knew of the Destroyers; more importantly, he'd had occasion to make a very secret deal with them, one which the rest of Blue Cosmos was unaware of. Naturally, he'd never intended to keep his end of the bargain, but that did not mean he didn't respect the abilities of the cybernetically-enhanced warriors. "Well, then, Captain, how about I order my people to take care of him?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Badgiruel said curtly. "That beam cannon of his can vaporize entire mobile suits, and the OS gives the pilot precognitive capabilities. Hardly infallible, but if your pilots' earlier performance is any indication, it doesn't have to be."

Azrael would have loved to cut the captain off at the knees for that remark, but unfortunately she was quite correct.

* * *

Out beyond the _Dominion_, several small engagements were going on at once. Snake perceived most of these as snapshots of strife as portrayed to him via the Zero System; though even he had to concentrate to properly interpret the data. Even for him, it could at times be difficult to tell if he was seeing the present or the predicted future. 

Kevin caught a glimpse of the Freedom, dodging a concerted a attack by both the Calamity and the Raider; then the Justice, exchanging fire with the Forbidden. But his attention was suddenly riveted on the _Kusanagi_, as it halted in space with sickening suddenness.

On the Orb carrier's Bridge, Ledonir Kisaka and Cagalli were nearly thrown across the compartment. "What was that?" the captain demanded.

"We're caught on some kind of... some kind of cable!" the helmsman reported.

"Well, break free of it!"

"We can't, sir! Whatever it is, it's tough."

Kisaka looked frustrated. "Asagi, whatever that is, I want it off this ship now!"

"Right, sir!"

Behind them, Invictus (who had flatly refused to be left behind, even if he knew next to nothing about space combat) cursed to himself. "Metapolymer tethering string," he said, irritated with himself for not thinking of it. "That concussion earlier must have been a shot from the _Dominion_'s Lohengrin; probably blasted free some debris."

Cagalli looked back at him. "John, you were created _after_ Kevin wrote the _Archangel_-class software, right? Isn't there anything you can do?"

The assassin was frustrated. "I don't know. I can't think of anything useful that Snake isn't already getting ready to do... Wait a minute!" He pulled himself over to Erica Simmons' station. "Bring me up the blueprints for the _Archangel_-class, stat."

Bemused, the engineer complied. "You got some kind of plan, Ninja?"

"I'm thinking about it, yeah." Invictus idly stroked his chin. "There should be some backdoor programs related to the various entry points..."

* * *

The furball was well underway; but the _Archangel_ had completely lost track of the enemy ship. "Where's the _Dominion_?" Ramius demanded. 

"There's too much debris-" Sai began, then cut himself off. "Blue fourteen, Orange Alpha! It's the _Dominion!"_

She whipped her head around to the starboard screen. "When did they-?"

On the _Dominion_'s Bridge, Badgiruel called out the order. "Gottfrieds, fire!"

"Evade!"

The _Archangel_ swooped over to starboard, avoiding the lethal beams... only to fall right into Natarle Badgiruel's trap. The missile's she'd ordered launched at the beginning of the engagement came to life, speeding directly at the beleaguered battleship. The range was close; they could not miss.

"Intercept them!" Ramius ordered.

"There's no time!" Sai answered, trying anyway.

It was then that Kira noticed their predicament. "The _Archangel!"_ Instantly, he dropped his attack against the Calamity and armed his plasma cannons, firing a volley directly at the missile salvo.

A few were hit, a few more were taken out by the _Archangel_'s desperate point-defense... but two got through, pulverizing the starboard Gottfried and Valiant, leaving the ship with a massive gap in its offensive capabilities. Another such hit they might not survive.

"I've had enough," Kevin Walker muttered darkly. "Try this, Natarle!" He activated his hyper jammers to give himself space, then opened a covert radio link with the _Dominion_. Fingers flying, he tapped out a series of commands, then transmitted them to the enemy battleship.

Badgiruel swung around in her chair as the fire control system suddenly died. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," her flustered fire control officer said. "It's like the system just shut itself off; I can't figure out what it is."

"Well, find out!"

It would take only seconds for the system to reboot... but the man called Snake only needed seconds. Before fire control could be reestablished, he was on the _Dominion_ like a fox after a rabbit. His powerful buster rifles blew three Igelstellungs into scrap before they could retarget him, and then he was in motion again, flying an evasive pattern as suggested by the Zero System.

Badgiruel suddenly remembered something she'd overheard Erica Simmons tell the young super-solider in Orb, months earlier. _"Your father. He was the most brilliant design engineer Morgenroete ever had."_

_Morgenroete,_ she thought._ Snake's father was an engineer there. What if he followed in his father's footsteps?_

Badgiruel opened a radio channel. "Snake! _You're _the one doing this, aren't you?" As she spoke, the Bridge lighting died.

There was low laughter on the other end. _"Yes, Natarle, you're right. Years ago, I wrote the software for the _Archangel_-class carriers. Not a thing you can do about it, either; the backdoor programs I buried cannot be altered without causing a catastrophic computer failure."_

"He's right, Captain," the fire-control officer reported. "But," he added, as Badgiruel muted the microphone, "he can't pull the same trick twice; we can counteract those we actually know about. He can't take down our fire-control again."

"Of course, the only way to find out about them is for him to use them," she muttered. "But it's better than nothing." Badgiruel unmuted the radio. "So what will it be, Snake? These tricks aside, we can still destroy you; even your computer can't predict everything."

_"True,"_ he acknowledged._ "But you know, there are some things worth fighting for; some things worth _dying_ for."_ Snake's image appeared once more on the screen._ "Some say the world will end in fire,"_ he quoted, blasting a passing Strike Dagger to pieces,_ "some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire."_ Stormhawk pirouetted, dodging a plasma blast from the Forbidden and replying with a blast from his own wing-mounted plasma cannons._ "But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction,"_ and he lopped another Dagger in half with a Lacerta,_ "ice is also great and would suffice."_

He winked out again, and Azrael frowned. "'Fire and Ice'. Huh. So this Neanderthal pilot's read Robert Frost."

"He's hardly a 'Neanderthal', Director," Natarle said frostily. "In addition to being a Destroyer, he was known as the Fencing Prince. You should know the name."

Blue Cosmos' leader nodded slowly. "Oh; so _that's_ why he wants to kill me."

Badgiruel proceeded to ignore him. "Target the _Archangel_ and prepare to fire!"

Kira very quickly saw the _Dominion_'s intent. "Natarle!" he shouted, swooping in on the big ship. Ignoring all else, he was determined to stop his former shipmate's attack on his friends.

La Flaga was oblivious to Kira's action; as the young man made his attack, the Hawk of Endymion was just vaporizing a Strike Dagger with his Agni. But then he felt a strange sensation... and a familiar one. _This feeling... is it him?_

The Strike turned and boosted back toward Mendel, swooping past the Buster in the process. "Hey, Pops!" Dearka protested. "Where ya goin'?"

"Don't call me Pops!" La Flaga said succinctly. "ZAFT forces are close!"

Though puzzled, the ex-ZAFT pilot didn't hesitate or question. He set off after La Flaga.

Athrun, engaged in a running duel with the Forbidden, caught sight then of the Freedom's headlong rush. "Kira, wait!"

"No, Kira!" Ramius called from the _Archangel_.

Kira ignored them both, ignored even the glancing blows the Calamity and Raider inflicted upon him. _"Stop it!"_

"That's the one you wanted to capture, right?" Badgiruel asked of Azrael.

"Yes, that's correct," he answered with a smile.

"Then I suggest you get the Calamity and the Raider ready." She looked straight ahead at the advancing machine, unaware that she knew its pilot. "Aim Sledgehammer missiles. Target: enemy mobile suit." A pause. "Fire!"

Kira, beam saber in hand, flinched as the storm of missiles reached out across space for him. Kilometers away, Snake watched helplessly, knowing he was out of range and could never make it in time, even at Stormhawk's incredibly high speeds.

The missiles came on...

* * *

Author's note: Muruta Azrael has finally learned the identity of the man who nearly blasted him to his constituent atoms in Orb; now he has something else to worry about. 

And within hours, the origins of Rau Le Creuset, Kira Yamato, and Kevin Walker will be revealed…

RVD, as I said in my review, so far I applaud how you're handling Kevin Walker; I never really thought about how an outsider, with no personal knowledge of him, would view him and his part in the war. I find Kirachi Hibiki's point of view most interesting.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I'm afraid Stormhawk does _not_ get a METEOR Unit; you'll notice _Eternal_ only has two of the things. Rest assured, though, that Kevin will get some serious firepower at his disposal soon enough.

As for the sequel, I'll start it as soon as I've seen a few episodes of Destiny; no _way_ am I going to wait to finish my other story first. Let me say here that Kevin Walker's tales are my priority, so Birds of a Feather will be put on hold once it is possible to begin the sequel (tentatively titled Brothers in Arms: A Call to Arms). I know how popular the character is, and he's certainly been the most interesting OC to write.

Ominae, I did once consider such a thing, back around Chapter 15, but events developed differently -just as well, once I saw Phase 38. I can certainly see how the thought might have occurred to you, given their obvious close friendship, despite the age gap (of course, Kevin Walker is mature far beyond his years). I confess to being a little puzzled, though, as to how that might have come up in Chapter 29, since to the best of my recollection the two do not interact at all; unless you're just making a general comment?

Shinji Ikari, it's entirely possible that Stormhawk could have annihilated Azrael before being touched… but Kevin couldn't _know_ that, and his recent oath meant he couldn't take as many risks as he otherwise would have.

I'll have to think about what alterations will be necessary to Chapter 28. I don't think it will require much, but it will take some thought; I'll take care of it soon enough.

I _have_ been making a determined effort with the thoughts/emotions thing. I may not think it's as bad as you do, but I recognize I have problems (doesn't do my ego any good, but ego has no place in serious writing).

You raised an interesting point about the clones, one which I hadn't thought of before, and it'll have to be duly addressed later on -I already have the perfect scene in mind, though it won't be for a few chapters yet. For now, though, I would point out that Le Creuset was created at least twenty years ago, whereas the various copies of Kevin Walker are only a little over three years ago. In other words, the cloning technology is likely far more advanced. Again, this will be more fully addressed later.

Now, you'll see that I omitted a scene from the episode here, between Cagalli and Athrun, but it really didn't fit in my version of events, if you know what I mean. However, think Athrun's feelings about Kevin's clear intention to kill his father are properly fleshed out in later events.

Interesting that you find it hard to predict what Kevin's reactions to things will be; I personally find it rather easy, and figured that knowing a character well enough to predict him was a sign of a well-developed character. On the other hand, since I created him, of course I'd know; and perhaps I don't have the proper outside viewpoint to be objective (hope that made sense to you; not sure it did to me).

By the way, after you see that actual events inside GARM, I'd be interested in hearing what your theory was; I always find such speculations interesting.

Don't worry, Invictus' motives _will_ be discussed later on; though I'm personally a little mystified that it's a mystery. Oh, well, it seems I have a talent for that.

I agree completely, in retrospect, regarding Lacus' out of character thoughts, and you'll notice I've already gone back and altered that. In this case, you really didn't need such a long, involved argument; just telling me it was out of character would have been sufficient in this case. If you still think it's still not good enough, let me know -preferably with your reasoning, in this case- and I'll either agree with you and change it again, or come up with a counter-argument (one of which I already have the beginnings of).

You're quite right about how I intended that last line to look, of course. I may at times be accidentally subtle, but in a case like that there's nothing accidental about it.

Okay, only forty-five minutes writing the notes for once; hasn't been that fast in awhile. Let me know how the chapter was. -Solid Shark


	31. Chapter 31: The Past Comes Back to Haunt

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, Jack Carter, Invictus, and Max

* * *

The missiles were going to hit the Freedom. There was no time to dodge, no time to do anything at all. As Kevin Walker might have said, there was no do and there was no try; there was only die. 

But Kira Yamato did something anyway. Behind his eyes, the seed burst and he became the Berserker once again. And the Berserker _could_ do something.

Without time to grab his beam rifle, Kira deployed his plasma cannons and railguns, while his main display rose and changed to a targeting screen. In a fraction of a second -though it seemed longer- the computer had locked onto the missiles, and the Freedom's multi-beam attack was active once more, blasting out shot after shot, in all directions.

Simultaneously, Kevin had undergone the same change, the effect echoing down his psychic link with Kira. He chose a different target, soaring toward the _Dominion_ once again. His fire did little actual damage -even the mighty buster rifles were stopped by the battleship's laminated armor- but it did serve to keep Natarle's ship busy; too busy to continue the attack on the _Archangel_.

Kira had successfully stopped the missile attack, much to the astonishment of Natarle Badgiruel and Muruta Azrael, but the Calamity and the Raider were still hot on his trail, firing everything they had. "Take this!" Orga shouted, firing his Schlag cannons at the Freedom.

But Kira was never truly alone in battle. Across the vast gulf, Kevin had sensed Orga's intention to fire, and responded by firing his own weapons at the same instant. Two azure beams merged with two green beams, effectively canceling each other out.

"Thanks, Kevin," Kira panted, and turned his attention to the Raider. "You got Calamity?"

"Affirm," his friend replied. "Now engaging." He broke off his attack on the _Dominion_ in order to devote his full attention to the blue artillery mobile suit.

"Where's the Forbidden?" Kira wondered aloud. "And Athrun?"

Snake concentrated, trying to scan across the huge distances involved in a space battle. "Closer to the _Kusanagi,"_ he reported. "Athrun's keeping that ugly thing busy; now let's do _our_ part."

"Roger that." Freedom flipped over, fired its plasma cannons, and spun away to dodge Raider's retaliatory Mjollnir strike.

"C'mon, Calamity," Kevin called. "Let's dance!" _And Athrun, if you fail to protect that ship, you'll have to answer to _me.

"Why don't you just give up?" Orga wondered, igniting his Scylla. "You're gonna lose!"

"Am I? I don't think so." Stormhawk took the attack on its shield, did a full one-eighty turn, and converted to mobile armor mode. "Catch me if you can, egghead!"

Calamity chased after him, firing a plasma sabot round which was promptly sideslipped. "Why keep fighting us?" Orga persisted, also persisting to shoot.

"Because your breath stinks."

Kira chuckled briefly, then boosted to one side and smacked Raider in the head with his fist as it shot past. "Just leave us alone, why don't you?"

"No way!" Clotho called back. "Special Attack!"

The Coordinator shook his head as he narrowly dodged to one side. _These guys are just plain nuts! Wait-_ "Oof!" The Raider's spherical breaker had come back around, and caught Freedom in the chest.

Seeing his friend go spinning out of control, Athrun's battle with Forbidden suddenly froze. _Kira!_ Behind his eyes, an emerald seed burst, and he too became the Berserker. "I don't have _time_ for this!"

With Justice's left hand, he grabbed Forbidden's scythe, and yanked him in close. "What the-" Shani called out, startled, and then got his answer as the hilt of a beam saber caught his machine in the chin.

Athrun boosted past the now-tumbling mobile suit, hurrying to Kira's rescue at the same time as Kevin's Stormhawk.

Justice took an unsuspecting Clotho from behind, taking a chunk out of its right wing with a beam saber, while Stormhawk charged toward Calamity. "Not to mention," Kevin said, continuing the previous topic, "you're an ugly bastard!"

A buster rifle discharged into Calamity's chest, blowing away the hyper-impulse cannon, and the battle entered a momentary stalemate, with the three enemies spinning around, trying to reorient themselves.

"You okay?" Athrun called.

"Yeah," Kira answered. "I'll be fine. What about you guys?"

"Never better," the super-soldier replied.

"I'm still moving," Athrun said obliquely.

_Now,_ Snake wondered idly,_ where have Mu and Dearka gotten to?_

* * *

The Strike and Buster were at that moment reentering the Mendel harbor; but they didn't stop when they reached it. They kept right on going, past the still-docked _Eternal_. 

As they passed, Waltfeld contacted them. "Hey! What's going on?"

_"He says ZAFT forces are here,"_ Dearka told him._ "Yes, and that guy."_ Waltfeld looked grim; and behind him, Lacus gasped. They both knew who "he" had to be._ " Anyway,"_ the Buster's pilot went on,_ "we're checking it out. It could be bad if he's right."_

"There's a harbor on the opposite side," Waltfeld said thoughtfully. "That's probably where they are. I wonder what they're up to."

"In any case," Lacus interjected, "please hurry up with the _Eternal_'s launch preparations. As long as we're still in here, we have no choice but to leave the fighting to others."

* * *

Outside the colony, Asagi Caldwell's Astray finally cut through the last section of metapolymer cable holding the _Kusanagi_ in place. "Sorry! That was tough!" 

"Thanks, Asagi," Kisaka said from the Bridge. "We appreciate your help."

"Maximum speed, at the _Dominion!"_ Cagalli ordered from behind him. "_Don't_ get us caught again!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

By now, it was the _Dominion_ that was at a disadvantage. The battle having outlasted the element of surprise, it now fell to pure numbers. Now that the ship's complement of Strike Daggers had been worn down, they were reduced largely to the three Gundams, whose pilots seemed to hit each other as often as the enemy. Add to that the unexpected presence of one of the _Archangel_-class' designers, the lead -and sole- programmer, no less, and they had problems.

All the while, Azrael seemed quite calm, even after the damage Calamity received. "Well, this is becoming quite interesting, Captain. But don't stop firing now; we've got them on the run."

"If we keep firing now," the captain retorted, "we risk hitting our _own_ machines!"

"Who cares if we hit our own machines?" he said negligently. "They have Trans-Phase armor, don't they?"

He never got an answer, as the ship's multitude of problems were suddenly multiplied by the report from Natarle's fire-control officer. "The Orb _Izumo_-class is closing, Captain! Fast!"

She gritted her teeth and said nothing; Azrael seemed more philosophical. "Oh, my; I guess they freed themselves."

On the _Kusanagi_'s Bridge, Cagalli's eyes narrowed. "Target the _Dominion!_ Gottfried One and Gottfried Two, fire!"

"Evade!" Natarle ordered instantly, and her ship narrowly avoided the massive beams.

But they were by no means safe. The _Archangel_ finally had the chance to go on the offensive, and Murrue Ramius wasted no time in doing so. "Aim Valiants! Fire!"

The _Dominion_'s helmsman made a determined effort, but the combination of mass and inertia had their way with the ship. Before her course could change significantly, the linear cannons' rounds caught the _Archangel_'s sister ship in the starboard side, blasting off a few Igelstellungs Snake had missed during his last attack.

"Fire a signal flare," Badgiruel ordered, frustrated. "Temporary withdrawal."

"What?" Azrael demanded incredulously.

"We've lost the element of surprise," Natarle told him curtly. "We need time to regroup."

"So you're saying, run away today, and win another day?" The Director couldn't decide if he was furious or not.

"Director," she said flatly, "we have just been hit by the _Archangel_'s Valiants. Your three machines are also running critically low on energy. And, to top it all off, we're facing a precognitive mobile suit piloted by the man who _wrote_ this ship's software. If we don't withdraw, we'll be destroyed."

"But we had them on the ropes!" Azrael wailed, sounding remarkably like a spoiled brat.

"Are you _that_ eager to meet your maker?" Badgiruel didn't waste time waiting for a reply. "Starboard ten degrees; we're leaving this battle area immediately!"

The signal flares went out; Orga and Clotho saw them. "Looks like our time's up," Orga said irritably.

"Looks that way," Clotho agreed. The two Gundams turned and headed for home plate.

The Forbidden, on the other hand, kept up its attack on the Freedom and Justice, its pilot enraged at Athrun's earlier strikes. "Take this, take this, _take this!"_ Shani fired his plasma cannon again and again, trying to hurt the machine that had hurt him.

Finally, the Calamity interposed itself between Shani and his target. "Stop it, Shani!"

"We've been ordered to withdraw, dimwit!" Clotho snapped.

"That guy!" Shani protested. "You know what he did?"

"We _have_ to retreat!" Orga shouted, genuine fear in his voice. "Do you want them to punish us again?"

Shani instantly came to what passed for his senses; he remembered the _last_ time they'd been through gamma glipheptin-withdrawal. Without any further argument, the Forbidden turned tail and ran.

The _Dominion_ gracefully came about and made its withdrawal... for the moment.

* * *

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, Murrue watched her former XO's ship dwindle. "Even her retreats are well-executed," she murmured. 

_"Too bad she's not on our side these days,"_ Snake commented over the radio._ "I daresay she's the best combat commander they've got left." _On the armrest screen, his image shrugged. _"Well, the danger's over, for now."_

_"Hey,"_ Waltfeld said abruptly, aboard the _Eternal. "Any word from La Flaga or Elsman yet?"_

Murrue blinked; she'd forgotten all about it. "Not yet, no," she said slowly. "But they're all the way over on the other side of the colony; it will have taken them some time just to get there."

_"Maybe so,"_ Snake said grimly._ "But we should have heard something by now. Mir, try and get through to them."_

"Right," Mir agreed. "Dearka?" she called, frowning. "Dearka! _Dearka!_ Commander?" She shook her head, looking down at the Captain. "It's no use, Captain; our signals just aren't reaching to the colony's interior."

Snake said something extremely vile in Russian. _"Okay,"_ he said finally. _"I'll go look for them. Try not to get blown up while I'm gone."_

_"I'll go with you,"_ Kira put in._ "If it is ZAFT, you'll need the help."_

_"The Justice is undamaged,"_ Athrun said._ "I'll go, too."_

_"No,"_ Kira said quickly._ "I think the _Dominion_ may not have made a complete withdrawal just yet; and with two of our best machines going out, you'd better stay here and keep an eye on things."_

_"You sure?"_

_"We'll be fine,"_ Kevin assured him._ "We'll stay out of trouble."_

_"As if."_ But Athrun raised no more objections.

* * *

Even as Kira and Snake set off for the colony's other harbor, two pairs of mobile suits were already arriving... as was one lone machine, identical to one of the other four in all but color. 

Rau Le Creuset flew his white command ZGMF-600 GuAIZ, and to his right Yzak Joule piloted his Duel deeper into the colony. Their mission was to find the _Eternal_, and then strike. But Le Creuset had another, hidden agenda... one which would be served by the arrivals of three of the incoming.

On the opposite side, Dearka's Buster and Mu's Strike approached, intent on locating the ZAFT forces. Mu would know instantly when they were close... though he didn't know how.

And a third party, in a blood-red-and-black-striped GuAIZ, sped inward, guided by the pilot's innate sense of Kevin Walker's location. The instant the super-soldier was close, this enigmatic pilot would know. After all, they shared the same face.

Le Creuset and Mu were the first to know of each other's presence. _He's here!_ they thought simultaneously; they altered course toward one another.

Yzak, wondering what his Commander was up to, soon saw for himself on his display. "The Strike?" That didn't really surprise him; back at Orb, he'd seen the machine back in action. At the time, he'd thought Athrun had simply been a little off in his pronouncement that he'd destroyed the troublesome machine; now Yzak had to wonder if Athrun's loyalties had been wavering even then.

But it was the second machine that really got the ZAFT pilot's attention. "The Buster?" Yzak simply could not believe his eyes. The Buster had been badly damaged and captured at the end of the same battle that had claimed the Aegis and (temporarily) the Strike. It shouldn't have been here. _Unless those bastard Naturals put one of _their_ pilots in it. Scum! I'll avenge you, Dearka! I promise!_

Dearka, meanwhile, was very much alive in the Buster's cockpit, and much better informed about current events. "The Duel? Yzak..." He swallowed hard. None of the "Zala Team" had gotten along with Yzak Joule particularly well; even Dearka had chafed when taking orders from him, on the infrequent occasions when Yzak had command authority. But he'd come closer than any of the others, and he really didn't want to have to fight him.

_I'll do it if I have to,_ Dearka told himself._ I've gone too far not to through with it, no matter what stands in the way. But if I can just get him to talk..._

Mu and Le Creuset were the first to face off, Mu's Agni against the GuAIZ's beam rifle; they both missed. "A new model?" Mu cursed. "This might not be the best equipment."

While the Duel and Buster similarly exchanged shots, Le Creuset barked a laugh. "I see. So _you're_ the one piloting that machine now... _Mu La Flaga!"_

Dodging the next shot and rolling upside down, Mu crazily thought of Snake. _Right now, he'd probably say something like "takes two to tango'; kid never did have a trace of sanity._ He triggered his hyper-impulse cannon and juked left. _Wish you were here, Snake; ZAFT machines are your specialty._

_"You scum!"_ Yzak shouted at the top of his (considerable) lungs._ "How dare you pilot Dearka's machine?"_ He fired off a blast from his beam rifle, narrowly missing the heavily-armed green machine.

"Yzak, no..." Dearka whispered; he sideslipped, making no effort to attack.

"What are the odds of us meeting again in this place?" Le Creuset wondered aloud, to Mu; the Three Ships Alliance pilot had not the foggiest idea what the man was talking about.

Unbeknownst to any of the combatants, the harbor's massive doors slid apart, allowing the Freedom and Stormhawk entry. (_Think they're out here, Snake?_) Kira asked, using their link to maintain radio silence. (_I don't see anything yet._)

(_"Yet",_) Snake repeated. (_It's a big harbor, tovarisch, and..._) He trailed off as a familiar sensation filled his head. (_Oh yeah, they're out here. Can't think of any other way Carter could have found us._)

(_Carter? He's here?_) The idea concerned Kira. (_That's not good._)

(_No, it isn't. Look, Kira, you find Mu and Dearka; I'll handle my sociopathic copy._)

(_Got it. Good luck._)

The two machines separated, one looking to rescue, the other to destroy. In other words, the usual division of responsibilities between the two.

_"You stinking Natural!"_ Yzak was screaming._ "I'll make you pay!"_ He fired off a missile barrage at the Buster.

"Yzak..." Dearka whispered. He fired his first shot of the battle, using his anti-armor shotgun to knock down the missiles. "Yzak!"

Yzak froze. "D-Dearka?"

Meanwhile, Mu and Le Creuset made yet another run at each other. "It was meant to be, Mu," the masked man said with a slight smile. "I'm glad."

"Jackal!" Mu snarled. "Today's the day!" He fired the pair of gun launchers mounted on the shoulder next to his Gatling gun, sending out a pair of guided projectiles.

Le Creuset's GuAIZ managed to lead them into the ground, before heading off again, almost as though taunting the Strike. Its pilot's only reaction was to laugh.

"Dearka?" Yzak whispered, well away from the conflict. "Is it really you in there?"

"Yeah," Dearka replied. "It's me." His image appeared on the Duel's right-hand screen.

His former comrade looked first relieved, then angry. "What are you doing, fighting alongside the Strike?" he demanded. "What exactly is going on here? I mean, I'm really glad you're alive, but man, I can't forgive you if this is what it looks like!"

"Yzak," Dearka began, then broke off as another voice spoke.

"Dearka!"

"Kira?" His head whipped around, to see the Freedom fast approaching, looking ready for battle. When the nuclear-powered machine had arrived, he had no idea.

Yzak saw it, too. "But that's-"

His mind replayed the events shortly before the activation of the Cyclops System at Alaska. _The Freedom sliced through the Duel's legs, literally cutting it off at the knees. "Forget about fighting and get yourself out of here!" the machine's pilot said forcefully._

Yzak hadn't forgotten that day, and he swept around to track the Freedom; but before he could fire, the Buster got in the way. "You two, stop!" Dearka told them both. "Kira, please, let me handle this."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then." He turned away. "But please, be careful. Remember what happened between Athrun and me."

The Freedom jetted away, leaving Yzak confused. "What? Athrun...?"

To his surprise, the Buster's cockpit suddenly opened; the mobile suit pilot's universal flag of truce. "Let's lower our weapons and talk," Dearka requested.

Yzak considered that. _This could be a trap... And how could Dearka of all people betray us?_ But it was one way to obtain information.

The Duel began to descend.

* * *

At this time, Snake was nearing his nemesis, his worst enemy... himself. 

Nearing the GuAIZ, he keyed his radio. "It's you again, isn't it, Carter? Here to complicate my life again? I'd really prefer to take a rain check, you know; I'm a little busy right now."

The response was like an echo, spoken in the same voice. "Sorry, Hydra. But I don't really care what your schedule's like." Carter smiled thinly. "It's time to finish this, once and for all."

Kevin shook his head. "Don't you remember last time, idiot? I beat you to a bloody pulp and tossed you out a window. Do you really want to get smashed again? And Hydra, by the way, is _dead._" He kicked in his verniers and drew a beam saber.

Carter's GuAIZ (color scheme clearly taken from the original's long-defunct Punisher) met the attack with a pair of beam claws generated from its shield. "Nice try, old man. But this time, there's no convenient window to throw me through; so it all comes down to piloting skill."

"It's the pilot, not the machine, that truly matters," Snake conceded. "But I have more experience, and my machine has sufficient power to blast you and quite possibly this entire colony into very tiny pieces. So how about we get on with this so I can get going?"

As the pair clashed again, Mu was getting seriously fed up with Le Creuset... especially with his cryptic statements. "If it's my fate to be shot down by you," the masked man said, sounding almost cheerful, "I thought this place would be... appropriate." He ducked under another Agni blast. "But it doesn't look like there's much chance of that happening, now is there?" he went on. "After all, how could the child hope to defeat the parent?"

"What?" Mu, uncomprehending, shrugged off the comment... as well as his virtually energy-depleted Striker pack. Allowing the now-useless weapons to drop, he drew the Strike's last-ditch weapons, which had last been used to destroy Marco Morassim's ZnO: the Armor Schneiders.

Le Creuset, unfortunately, had no intention of allowing that. He launched the GuAIZ's pair of grapplers; one of them caught the Strike in the right shoulder joint, severing that arm, and the other hit near the cockpit.

The main console exploded, momentarily blinding Mu, and a piece of shrapnel stabbed into him, just above his left hip. "Ugh!"

"So much for the mighty Hawk of Endymion!" Le Creuset crowed; and then stopped, as a strange sensation went through his head. "What-"

A beam blast came out of nowhere, destroying the GuAIZ's beam rifle, and a winged shape came speeding into view, still firing.

"It's the Freedom!" Le Creuset managed, just as another shot blew off his machine's head.

"Mu!" Kira called, flashing past. He drew a Lacerta, readied it, and swung as he passed the GuAIZ, severing both legs.

The machine crashed heavily to the ground, briefly stunning its pilot. Within moments, though, Rau had released his straps and was out of the cockpit, sidearm in hand. He ran quickly by the Strike, where Mu was just emerging, helmetless, with a gun in his own hand.

The Hawk ducked back, narrowly avoiding having his head blown off. "Where's he going now?" he muttered, firing off a quick pair of shots.

"Come with me!" Le Creuset called. "I myself shall deliver your requiem!" He turned, fired twice more, and ran off toward a dark, abandoned building that stood nearby.

"What on earth is going on here?" Mu hauled himself out of the cockpit and sprinted after his nemesis.

Kira, in the Freedom, saw him go. "Mu, wait!" He quickly set his machine down, opened his hatch, ad climbed out; he, too, held a sidearm. _Can't let him go off alone,_ he thought, climbing down. _Murrue wouldn't be happy if Mu bought it._

A good ways away, Yzak and Dearka had exited their respective machines, stopping a few paces apart. Dearka was unarmed. "Yzak..."

Yzak raised the pistol he held. "Did you think I was naive enough to believe the words of an enemy?"

His old friend looked away for a moment. "Have _I_ become your enemy now?"

"How can you ask me that? You're the one who-"

Yzak broke off as a roaring sound filled the air. "Hit the dirt!" Dearka advised, flattening; an instant later, Carter's GuAIZ slammed into the ground beside the Duel, thoroughly dismembered and smoking.

The Stormhawk made a more controlled landing within seconds, quickly powering down. And for a few moments, all was still; even Yzak was silent where he lay, pistol in hand, completely bemused by the unexpected occurrence.

* * *

In the Sturm Falke's cockpit, Snake observed his fallen foe with no small satisfaction. _Carter, you idiot,_ he thought cheerfully. _Never take on _my_ machine with a mass-produced model, especially when you're so inexperienced at that kind of warfare. Now it's time to finish this._

He stripped off his flight suit, leaving his standard attire minus the jacket, and checked his weapons. _Shoulder-holstered .45, check... combat knife, check... throwing knives, check... plasma rifle, check... Colt... oh, that's not good._

Kevin's Colt Single Action Army was down for the count. Its barrel was cracked, and the grips splintering; a direct result of his bionic arm's power. "Now what?" he muttered, assessing the damage. His trademark gun was gone (he'd given the other to Cagalli), which meant he needed a new one, fast.

Snake briefly contemplated the Colt automatic under his arm, then dismissed the notion and reached under his ejection seat. He swiftly withdrew another holstered pistol, virtually identical to the .45. And so it was: the only difference between the Colt M1911 and the Delta Elite was bore size. The Delta Elite was chambered for 10 millimeter, a caliber he favored due to its extreme penetration.

After quickly swapping the SAA's holster for the 10mm, Snake popped his hatch and jumped out, making one of his trademark bone-breaking landings.

Yzak stared as Kevin Walker dropped to the ground, ran past, and then hit the dirt near the wrecked GuAIZ as _its_ cockpit opened and released a an armed figure, who began firing at the Snake. His confusion grew when it became clear that the shooter was _another_ Kevin Walker; something that became very clear when the flight-suited man dashed briefly into view on his way to the facility where Le Creuset and Mu had vanished.

Snake blew past a moment later, and Dearka whispered harshly to Yzak. "Shoot him, Yzak! You'll be doing the entire world a favor if you whack that guy!"

Animosity momentarily forgotten, Yzak's weapon wavered between the two gunmen. "Which one? And why do they look alike?"

"Shoot 'em both if you have to," Dearka said impatiently. "Snake won't even notice. The other guy, though, is one of his clones, and the one who stole that GuAIZ. ZAFT wants him dead, too, so shoot already!"

Before Yzak could make up his mind, both Walkers were gone. Carter had bypassed the building entirely, apparently searching for an escape route, while Snake had gone straight in. Both were long gone.

Deprived of those targets, he shifted his aim back to Dearka. "Enough! What are you trying to pull, Dearka? It won't work, whatever it is!"

"That was Kevin Walker," Dearka said carefully. "The one they called Hydra."

The Duel's pilot sneered. _"Another_ traitor! I should-"

"He wasn't a willing participant, Yzak! You must have seen the scars. Do those look like the marks of a volunteer?" Dearka challenged him.

Yzak's aim faltered for a moment. "What...?"

* * *

On the opposite side of Mendel, mechanics worked feverishly to repair the ships and machines. Four of their mobile suits still had not returned, which left everyone very tense, especially since there was little doubt the _Dominion_ was still nearby. 

Meanwhile, Asagi had been sent on a recon run to the colony's far side; she was just now returning. _"There's ZAFT forces here, alright,"_ she radioed. _"Three _Nazca_-class battleships are hiding in the debris field on the other side of the colony."_

"Thanks, Asagi," Kisaka said wearily from the _Kusanagi_'s Bridge.

"Three _Nazcas_, huh?" Waltfeld looked grim. "They must be real serious if they're sending _three_ after us." He shook his head. "This could be trouble. What team are they from?"

"They're Le Creuset's," Murrue said softly, unexpectedly. When all eyes on both screens turned to her, her face was very grim. "That's how he knew they were out there." She looked up, as if only then realizing she was speaking aloud. "Mu says he can tell when he's nearby," Murrue explained. "But he doesn't know how. He can sense Rau Le Creuset."

"We must hurry," Lacus said gravely. "The Commander and Kira are out there, and so are Dearka and my cousin. They may be in grave danger."

"Kevin can take care of himself," Cagalli said, behind Kisaka. Her voice and face were tightly controlled. "I'm... I'm sure he'll be fine. They can't have sent more than a couple of machines into the colony itself, or we would have noticed. The Freedom and the Stormhawk can handle anything ZAFT has, and nobody alive could take Kevin on foot. They'll be okay."

"I hope you're right," Invictus murmured from further aft on the _Kusanagi_'s Bridge. "Because I just might have a job for my 'brother'." Without explaining himself, he went back to poring over the _Archangel_-class' blueprints.

* * *

Inside the long-abandoned facility, Mu braced himself against a wall, one hand pressed to his wound, the other holding his sidearm. After entering the spooky place, he'd repeatedly traded shots with Le Creuset, who seemed to be in a talkative mood. 

"Do you have any idea what this place is, Mu?" Le Creuset's echoing voice asked.

Mu peered around the corner and snapped off a couple shots. "Why would I, psycho?"

A handful of bullets ricocheted nearby. "It's such a crime for you not to know," Rau mused, while the Hawk darted to another piece of cover.

On the bottom floor, just outside of the huge open room, Kira crouched against a wall, checking the area; his gun was held tightly in both hands.

He nearly had heart failure when a black-clad silhouette suddenly materialized next to him. "Hey, Kira," Snake whispered.

His friend nearly jumped out of his skin. "Snake! Don't do that."

"Sorry." He didn't mean it, of course; the Snake took great pride in his ability to frighten people half to death. (_Any sign of Mu?_) he went on silently.

Kira shook his head. (_I haven't seen him, though I can hear him. And Le Creuset. What about you? Any luck?_)

It was Kevin's turn to shake his head. (_Nope; Carter got away. Doesn't matter right now._) He looked disdainfully at Kira's weapon and positively sniffed in disgust. "Mouse gun," he sneered. His hand snaked down to his shoulder holster. "Here, take this."

Kira took the big automatic, setting aside his standard-issue weapon. "Thanks. Forty-five?"

"Yeah; my SAA broke, so I'm using ten millimeter. Better penetration." Snake looked carefully through the door. "Okay, let's go."

The Freedom's pilot nodded, and the pair darted through, into the main chamber, weapons at the ready. Snake, despite his words, had not yet drawn his 10mm; instead, he held the enormously heavy plasma rifle. His door opener, if it came to that.

For a time, they could see nothing; so Kira risked a shout. "Hey, Mu!"

Mu jerked. "No, Kira!"

On a higher level, Le Creuset froze in surprise. _Kira... Yamato? He's alive?_

Snake, below, wondered at the silence. "Okay," he told Kira. "I'm going on ahead." With that, he performed another of his superhuman leaps, landing two floors above.

Rau spotted the motion, and knew it at once for what it was. Only one fully-enhanced man remained alive, and only someone with the full package could have done that. "Kevin Walker! Kira Yamato! Delightful it is that you two could join us... wouldn't you say, Cain?"

Kevin froze for an instant. "That name doesn't mean anything, Le Creuset!" he called back. "Hydra is dead, and so is Cain!"

"Hydra, perhaps, but not the fratricidal Cain!" Le Creuset laughed. "The day Michael Carnehan died, you became in truth that codename." He risked a glance down below, spotting Kira. "Ah, _now_ I understand! So _you're_ the Freedom's pilot!"

Kira used the distraction to reach Mu's location. "Finally!"

Mu frowned as the younger pilot pressed himself against the wall. "Kira! Why did you follow me?" He attempted a glare.

"I wasn't going to just wait outside for you," Kira replied firmly. "Besides, if anything happened to you, what would I tell Murrue?"

The Hawk smiled reluctantly. "Ha. Nosy kid." _Even though it might get you killed..._

Kira caught sight of Mu's injury. "You're hurt!"

He waved away the concern. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He glanced down at the Colt the Coordinator held. "But there's something you should know: if you're gonna use that thing, you should release the safety first."

While Kira sheepishly worked his gun's mechanism, Kevin stalked around a level below. "This place... seems familiar..." _Maybe I should transform, heighten my senses... but no. In this place, the memories might overwhelm my animal form, and we can't have _that._ Not after the last time I lost control._

"I wondered when we'd meet again, Cain!" Le Creuset called. "You nearly had me, back at Alaska; if the law of averages hadn't caught up with your shooting, I wouldn't be here right now. But now, it seems somehow right that the four of us should meet again at the place where it all began!"

"Shut up, nekulturny bastard!" Snake jumped again, giving Rau a perfect shot; a perfect shot that was redirected by the super-soldier's momentarily-functional EM field. "That the best you can do?"

"What makes you think I want to kill you, Cain?" Le Creuset laughed. "I won't do that, not yet; there is still much you have to learn about yourself, you know. You remember this place, don't you? Even if Kira and Mu do not?" He ran off into the next room.

Kira, hearing this, was quite startled; but Mu quickly shook his head. "Don't listen to him! No matter what he says, don't believe a word of it!"

"No, Mu," Snake said quietly, suddenly with them. "Some things he speaks of are true. I'm just not sure which yet."

"Forget it for now." Mu dashed off for the door Le Creuset had disappeared through, Kira and Kevin tow. They were forced to drop back for a moment, as a few stray shots passed them, but then they were inside... in a room of bizarre equipment. "What _is_ this place?"

Crouched near one of the tanks filling the room (they appeared to contain human embryos, long dead), Snake said something very obscene. In English, which got his friends' attention. "No..." he whispered.

"What's wrong, Snake?" Mu asked quickly.

"GARM..." Kevin's hands were actually shaking on the grip of his pistol.

"'GARM'?" Mu repeated. "What's that?"

"Genetic Advanced Reproductive Medical Research and Development," Snake said softly. "I hoped I'd never see this cursed place again..."

Kira looked at him sharply. "You know this place? You've been here before?"

The super-soldier nodded, face a mask. "Yeah. But I don't know why, or when." Holding his emotions carefully in check, manipulating his vitals through his augmentation, Snake rose to his feet. "Enough games, Rau!" he called. "What's going on here?"

Low laughter echoed back. "Such a shame, that you don't remember. You know this place, Cain; you can feel its resonance in your very bones, can't you?"

Snake hissed, holstered his 10mm, and pulled the plasma rifle off his back. "Enough riddles, Commander!" In a bid to get Le Creuset's attention, he fired the powerful weapon into one of the long-deceased embryos, causing total vaporization of the test subject, the equipment surrounding it, and a good chunk of wall beyond.

The bid was successful; and all three pilots were forced to the deck as bullets hit the walls. "Nice going, Snake," Mu muttered, and ran to the door at the far side of the room.

"Does it bring back any memories, Kira?" Le Creuset called. "You _should_ know this place!"

Kira paused. "Know this place? But how?"

Mu had had enough. He dashed through the door, rolled to avoid Le Creuset's fire, and leapt over a couch, landing in a covered position. He then popped up, fired a round... and lost his grip on his gun as a flash of white-hot pain hit him in the shoulder; one of Rau's bullets had hit its mark.

"Mu, no!" Kira shouted. He rushed in, similarly jumped over the couch, and turned to face Le Creuset, .45 held in both hands. "Are you okay?" he asked Mu; his only answer was a grunt of pain.

Le Creuset stepped forward into the lesser shadows and lowered his gun. "I'm not going to finish you," he said calmly. "After all, I made you go through the trouble of coming all the way here. I think you should hear the whole story, before you die."

"Before _you_ die, you mean," Snake whispered harshly. He had suddenly materialized behind the ZAFT commander, Delta Elite held in both hands. "Last time, my augmentation was malfunctioning, and threw off my aim; this time it's in perfect shape. But you know, I'm not going to finish _you_, either; I'd like to hear what you have to say." He lowered the gun. "No promises for afterwards, of course."

"I would expect no less, Cain," Rau said easily, unconcerned. He'd read the super-soldier perfectly; an assassin he might be, but he hungered for knowledge, especially if it concerned his own past.

He reached over to a small table, picked up a framed picture, and tossed it into Kira's view. The young pilot glanced at it, and gasped; it was the same picture Cagalli had shown him.

The next item to land was a photo album, spilling pictures; and this time it was Mu's turn to be startled. "My dad...?" he whispered in surprise.

"Take a look," Le Creuset suggested. "Don't you want to know the full extant of humanity's insatiable desires, of the madmen who pursued their twisted dream in the name of progress?" He smiled. "Because after all, Kira, Cain... you're children of this, too."

* * *

Author's note: _Dominion_ has been temporarily driven off, while Kira and Mu have entered the GARM facility… accompanied by Kevin Walker, who seems to have some recollection of the place. Within moments, the truth of Kira Yamato, Rau Le Creuset, and Kevin Walker's origins will be revealed… 

One thing I should note here: I realize the confrontation with Jack Carter was brief, but this isn't yet his time to shine. The sociopathic clone will come into his own in the sequel, A Call to Arms… with a vengeance, as will be explained next chapter.

Daniel Lynx, I salute your brother, and wish him luck. Whatever anyone else may think, _I_ support the troops. I hope he does well.

Ominae, I _will_ say that the two become quite close, by the end, but other than that…

Relik, I'm really not sure why Invictus' motives are so hard to understand. Think about it: he is a _direct_ clone of Kevin, with all the same memories up to the start of Project ABADDON. That means he started with Kevin's _original_ value system, and while it would no doubt have changed somewhat based on experience, he'd still have much the same views on matters. In any case, though, that will be further explored a little later on.

As for Robert Frost, I confess I haven't read the whole thing myself (assuming there's more to it, at any rate). I found it in a rather creepy series called Atlantis, by Greg Donegan, and found it fit certain places in the story perfectly… especially something near the very end, as you'll see.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, if you look again you'll see that Lacus _doesn't_ say _Eternal_ has an extra METEOR Unit for Stormhawk; Waltfeld merely comments that the ship was modified to accommodate the machine. As I said, though, he'll be getting heavier firepower soon enough.

Now, I'll say this about the next chapter, in my usual cryptic fashion: some scenes you've been looking forward to finally take place.

Deathzealot, any resemblance between my story and the one you refer to is purely coincidental. Obviously; unlike Kevin Walker, _I'm_ not even an empath, let alone a telepath. And since I have no idea who this person is… Anyway, we're getting close to a twist I'm pretty sure no one else has ever thought of before. You'll see what I mean.

RVD, I'm informed your story has just been updated, so I'll likely be reviewing _your_ work soon enough. As always, thanks for the review; and you're about to get the answer to your question.

Shinji Ikari, for starters, I didn't actually _quote_ Gaignun Kukai; technically, I _paraphrased_. The actual line, if memory serves (which it should; I've only beaten that game a hundred times), used the phrase "will not", not "cannot". I know, I'm being nitpicking; but who cares?

As you've probably seen by now, I took care of the Chapter 17 edit, including the new point you raised. I also went back and rephrased that line in Chapter 19 (well, replaced one word, but it sufficed). However, having read over it again, I'm afraid I now _dis_agree with you complaint about Kira's lack of reaction to Kevin calling himself a monster. Sure, he'd normally at least remark on it… but before he has a chance to, Kevin hits him with the revelation of who was behind that assassination two years ago. I would think that would kind of drive the previous point right out of his head.

I'm afraid I really have to disagree with your comment about this being one of the worst fan fiction archives on the Net, but I will say no more; I have no desire to instigate a major argument, when so much of my attention is focused on getting the _chapters_ ready; besides, a difference of opinion is really irrelevant.

Point taken about the cloning technology, but fear not; I've got it all figured out anyway, as you'll see before too long.

Point also taken regarding Athrun; I'll have to add something in there, once I think of exactly _what_. I get the distinct feeling that before I post the final chapter, I'll have to go back and take care of a few last revision details. Fortunately, I don't think there are too many.

Your mention of George Glenn's preserved brain intrigues me, I must admit. Just what _did_ they do with it? My assumption (if I thought about it at all) was that he had simply been buried or cremated whole, following his assassination.

Okay, time for what I suspect may be a lengthy explanation regarding Lacus. I'm afraid neither of your interpretations is exactly correct. Let me begin by saying that Lacus clearly does _not_ think all killing is wrong: let me remind you that it was _her_ idea to blow up the _Vesalius_, in Phase 46. That said, what she means is that while it's preferable to use nonlethal means (i.e., try them and _then_ execute them), sometimes it's not possible to, and the only way to bring them to justice is to do exactly what Kevin proposes. The _problem_, from her point of view, is that he wants to do it out vengeance for inflicted injuries, not justice for past crimes; a subtle but very distinct and important difference.

Now, onto to the matter of Kevin and Invictus (and I might point out that while Cagalli may be an idealist, she's also more of a realist than, say, Kira or Lacus). First, Invictus may not be as jaded as Kevin, but even before ABADDON Kevin was a realist, and disbelief in world peace _is_ realism, like it or not.

As for him being an assassin, remember that most of his time was spent assassinating other clones; despite his fearsome reputation, he actually _hasn't_ done as much in that regard as Kevin himself. Besides which, his life hasn't been anywhere near as harsh, overall.

And of course he's more cheerful than the original: his memories don't cover the things inflicted upon Kevin by Oracle, which means he doesn't have quite the colossal grudge against ZAFT, the Earth Alliance, Blue Cosmos, etc, etc…

Yes, Invictus' character _does_ get explored more later on, never fear.

Don't be surprised by all the "cliché-breakers"; while I don't have any intrinsic problem with clichés, I do generally prefer originality. Admittedly, such things _do_ seem to happen by accident…

You make an interesting point regarding Kevin/Waltfeld interaction. There _will_ be something along those lines, but I haven't yet decided if I'll insert a scene, or write it up for the series of one-shots. The latter might be better, as I could do it a bit more in-depth; these one-shots will be written in first-person, as a way to delve deeper into a given character's perspective on events involving or related to Kevin Walker.

You'll be pleased to know that, starting next chapter, I'll be including a mini-glossary at the end of each, before the author's notes. Since there isn't much specific to Brothers in Arms -relatively speaking- a handful per chapter should suffice to get in everything before the end.

As you've seen, I _did_ change this past battle; I went back over it last night, decided it was too close to canon, and rewrote the engagement. This, by the way, will be about the _last_ major battle where it's possible to be too close to canon.

I'm pleased to learn I'm still balancing Kevin's abilities well enough. It's a little tricky, of course; on the one hand, I can't have him _too_ good, but on the other, given his established abilities, I can't have average small fry kicking the stuffing out of him, either. It's a fine line to walk.

Sorry that the entirety of GARM isn't here quite yet, but next chapter it will be; and I think I handled Le Creuset well enough, when it comes to my own twists. Of course, I'll have to spend tonight and tomorrow night both getting it ready; there are a number of small changes I need to make, based on more recent ideas. It should, however, still be posted according to my regular schedule, so you'll very likely be seeing it Monday night.

Kevin's survival _won't_ be explained quite yet, obviously; you'll note that in Chapter 2, Le Creuset wonders about it himself. But, though it may rest slightly on fuzzy logic -I mean, come on; it _was_ a fusion bomb- it will be more complete than my original intention.

Guess that's everything; time for me to sign off. Let me know how it was. -Solid Shark


	32. Chapter 32: Forbidden Temple

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, his clones, and Max

* * *

There was complete silence in the darkened room for several moments; Mu clutching his wounds, Kira staring hard at Le Creuset, gun leveled; and Kevin Walker, simply standing silently. 

"This place is a forbidden temple," Le Creuset went on after a moment. "A monument to mankind's twisted dreams, their desire to always push the envelope one step further... until they reached the point where it could be stretched no more." He laughed. "I suppose it's not a surprise that you don't remember this place, Kira. But you, Cain... you've been here before, since the day you were created. You came here that day Oracle made his deal with the devil in his desire for war, and again on the day you returned to see for yourself where you were born."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Snake said in a soft, dangerous voice. "I was born in Orb, Le Creuset; the only time I came here was to destroy it."

"Not so, Cain; at one time, you knew full well how you came into being, if not all the details." Rau smirked. "Perhaps the two of you would like to know how you came into being." He looked first over his shoulder at Snake, then back at Kira. "Tell me, did either of you ever wonder if those who raised you were actually your _real_ parents?"

Kevin might have been made of stone; Kira was less stolid. "What?"

"No, of course you didn't," Le Creuset continued. "If you had, you wouldn't have turned out as you did, you wouldn't have turned out so normal. Although," he added after some consideration, "I suppose the one they called the Guardian was never exactly normal, now was he?"

That elicited a reaction from the super-soldier. "You shouldn't know that codename," he whispered. "Only a handful of living people know that name."

"Oh, it's all here, Cain, I assure you... though Guardian was an utter fabrication."

Kira had had enough. "What are you trying to say about us? Just what are you trying to tell us?"

Rau laughed again. "You two are the culmination of mankind's mad dreams, the ultimate Coordinators!" He shook his head. "I never expected the twins to survive, especially not the boy; since after your real father, Doctor Hibiki, you were the highest-priority target of Blue Cosmos. Yet survive you did; and you not only survived, but grew and thrived, and then threw yourself into the war and survived even that. Yet not until this very day did I realize exactly who you two were; even when Athrun brought up your name, I had no idea you were _that_ child." He glanced back at Kevin. "As for you, it has taken me until today to determine just which of you you were."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Snake said harshly.

"Doctor Hibiki's project produced only two viable results," Rau explained obliquely. "The two of you. Yes, I'm sure you believe there were three, with your brother another product, but in truth Michael Carnehan was not your brother; he was but your first clone." He didn't wait for the next question. "Listen close, Cain, for your origins are far different from what you have been led to believe; for there are few now living who know the true tale. You, as part of Baron Onishi's mad project, were engineered beyond what even Doctor Hibiki attempted; the experiment could have resulted in horrific failure, and should have, so your brilliant father, a genius at genetic engineering in his own right, cloned you, in case you failed. In the end, however, Carnehan was required merely as another test case, a less extreme example of your own mutations." He chuckled. "This may not come as a complete surprise to you; after all, it would be very easy for you to mistake a clone for an identical twin, since in either case the DNA would be identical. But I doubt you realize you are not, in fact, the son of Baron Onishi." Another brief laugh. "And for that result, a large number of your siblings -in a sense, siblings of you both- were sacrificed."

"Don't listen to this psycho," Mu croaked, when Kira stiffened in shock. "He's just trying to confuse you-" He shut up when a bullet from the ZAFT commander's pistol went over his head. _Curse you, Rau Le Creuset!_

_N-no..._ Kira thought in horror; Kevin barely twitched.

"On the contrary, Mu, what I'm telling your young comrade is quite accurate. You know it is, don't you, Cain?" Rau directed his gaze at the statue-like pilot. "You know the truth, in your heart, don't you? That you were raised, not by your parents, but by your aunt and uncle?"

"Impossible," Snake said flatly. "Baron Onishi had no siblings, and his wife had only her brother, Siegel. Unless you're suggesting..."

"Precisely," Le Creuset confirmed. "Lacus Clyne is not your cousin; she is in fact your sister. Exactly how Baron Onishi and Doctor Hibiki obtained genetic samples from Siegel Clyne and his wife is a mystery that will probably never be solved. I'm certain the Clynes were completely unaware of it, and for that matter Doctor Hibiki himself likely had little knowledge of the extent of the Baron's private experiments. But the fact remains that you are the full-blooded brother of Lacus Clyne, and product of one of mankind's most insane experiments. But you've both survived; even I'm becoming convinced they were onto something." He ruefully shook his head. "But for the longest time, I couldn't figure out if it was you or Carnehan that was the clone; by the time I learned you had survived, your abilities had been so radically changed by cybernetic enhancement that it was nearly impossible to tell which had originally been the stronger. But now, with the things you have done, there can be no doubt. Only the real child was engineered as a zoanthrope, and only the real child was such a powerful empath."

"My father knew nothing of my powers," Snake replied, but with less conviction.

"On the contrary, your _uncle_" he stressed the word, as if to emphasize once again that Kevin Walker was not who he thought he was "specifically designed them into you in the first place. Don't bother trying to deny what you are, Cain; those who know what they are looking for can detect the gift, and I felt the touch of your mind. You are without doubt the unknown son of Siegel Clyne, not the clone whom you killed. Which means Doctor Hibiki and Baron Onishi were on the right track all along, doesn't it?" Le Creuset laughed. "Of course, Oracle's experimentation certainly helped, didn't it, Cain? But did you ever wonder just _who_ came up with the project in the first place? Who was responsible for the madness that resulted from it?"

"It was Oracle," Kevin said cautiously. "He came up with the technological basis, and went to Patrick Zala for approval."

Le Creuset shook his head, smiling pityingly. "Oh, no, Cain, that's not how it was at all. You see, Oracle was, in the beginning, merely a mad scientist, content to perform his experiments on those few subjects he could obtain on his own, without official recognition or assistance; he had only the slightest thought of cloning technology. But one man saw the potential of his creations... One man saw that they could be ZAFT's ultimate weapon for victory." He grinned widely, looking more than a little insane. "It was _I_ who saw the way, Cain! I was but a fool then, not even realizing how pathetic humanity was, not yet seeing the only path that made sense; yet even after I understood the truth, I saw how useful you could be! I saw that you could help me in my quest, I saw that the Destroyers could truly be as they were called! And when I offered Oracle the opportunity to expand his experiments, he jumped at it."

"No... it can't be... Rachel... Erica... Mike... they all died for that?" The super-soldier's fists clenched. "It was _you_ that made me -made _us_- what we were?"

"I had no idea how far Oracle would go," Rau admitted. "Had I understood the tactics he would use in creating you -the ultimate Destroyer- I might have stepped in, used gentler means. After all, you were of little use to me so embittered against ZAFT... wouldn't you say, Cain?"

Suddenly, startlingly, Snake lost his temper. "Shut up!" His 10mm raised once again, he fired off a quick pair of shots, trying to "double-tap" Le Creuset in the head, then dashed to a nearby stairway.

With Rau ducking for cover, Mu tackled Kira out of harm's way and quickly led him off in Kevin's wake. "Get a grip, you fool! You're not taking his nonsense seriously, are you?"

"It's not nonsense, Mu," Snake said heavily. "At least not all of it. This... this place _is_ where I was born; and my primary objective, when I came here as a Destroyer."

"You're sure?" The three ducked behind a table in what seemed to be an old, abandoned laboratory. "I mean," Mu went on, "I thought your memory was still pretty messed up." _If it is true... ouch._

"It is," Kevin acknowledged. "But the fact remains, I was here. And he's right, I came here while on the run, too; I can't remember why, but I'm reluctantly inclined to believe his explanation."

Rau's voice came down the stairs toward them. "'Today my secret shall be revealed'," he quoted. "'I did not come into this world through natural birth...'"

Snake banged his head against the table. "Give me a _break,"_ he groaned, recognizing the words. _Why on _Earth _is he quoting George Glenn at a time like this?_

"Doesn't that guy _ever_ shut up?" Mu whispered, equally irritated.

"'My genes were altered early in the embryonic stage of my development'," Le Creuset continued. "George Glenn was the first Coordinator that humanity knew. Do you know how much darkness has spread across this world because of the chaos he unleashed?" Lights went on as he pressed switches on the wall.

"So how does ZAFT intend to solve it, Le Creuset?" Snake questioned. "You think wiping out all Naturals will end it?" He snorted. "That's not the answer, Rau. Genocide never is."

"There's far more to it than that, Cain. You of all people should know that. You know the lengths to which madmen will take their dreams!" Rau laughed. "Is that why they did it? Because people dreamed, and then demanded that their dreams come true? After all, no one ever wants to see their dreams shattered."

"He's losing it," Kevin muttered. A sudden thought struck him, and he triggered his radio implant. "Dearka? Dearka, if you can hear me..."

* * *

Outside, Dearka was still facing off with Yzak, who held a gun on him. "Commander Waltfeld joined Lacus Clyne?" the ZAFT pilot said incredulously. "And Athrun too? But why, Dearka? Why?" 

"Maybe because they've got more sense than we did," Dearka retorted. "Can you honestly say that ZAFT is doing the right thing?" He tilted his head. "The Freedom's pilot is the same guy who used to pilot the Strike, _and_ he's a Coordinator, too." Dearka half-smiled. "Kira, Athrun, and Snake... they've been friends since they were just kids."

Yzak blinked. "What?" He glared suddenly. "Just what is going on here, Dearka? Answer me!"

"I'm not as devoted to the cause as those three are," Dearka began, "but I've seen some things." He paused, remembering Mir's words when she tried to assassinate him. "I've watched them, fought with them, and after Alaska, Panama, and Orb, I've realized that I can't go back to ZAFT and just attack whoever they tell me to."

"Dearka, stop!"

Dearka, however, was not the next to speak. To the surprise of both, the ex-ZAFT pilot's flight suit started talking. _"Dearka? Dearka, if you can hear me, listen carefully; and make sure your buddy Yzak can hear it, too."_

Dearka raised a microphone to his lips. "What is it, Snake?"

"Your friend's boss is losing it, that's what. I figure he should hear it."

"Roger that." He looked back at Yzak. "You might want to pay attention, Yzak; even you should know that Kevin Walker isn't in the habit of lying, even to his enemies."

* * *

"They thirsted for knowledge," Le Creuset was saying, beginning to sound as if ranting, "and they sought for that knowledge, and in the process they forgot _why_ they were doing it. Even as they proclaimed their reverence for human life, they began toying with it, and then they began to destroy it!" 

"Shut _up!"_ Mu shouted. He burst from cover, firing his weapon, and succeeded in putting a bullet through Rau's hair as he reached the protection of a wall. "Just what gives you the right to sound so superior?"

"I am the _only_ one who has earned that right!" Rau replied, voice beginning to take on an edge of madness. "In all the universe, I alone have the right to judge all of humanity!"

"Try playing god, Rau," Snake murmured, checking his Delta Elite, "and I'll ventilate your brainpan."

"I'm surprised that you don't remember, Mu," Le Creuset added. "We've met once before, you and I, long, long ago, before we ever met on the battlefield."

"What?" Mu frowned, trying to remember where he might have previously encountered Rau Le Creuset.

Rau quickly solved the problem for him. "I am he, that arrogant fool, who thought he could thwart death itself with his money!" He smiled broadly, the expression of someone whose marbles were not all present and accounted for. "Your father, Al Da Flaga," he said, as if introducing himself. "But I am merely that man's defective clone!"

Kevin heard Dearka and Yzak both gasp over the radio, but his reaction was more on the order of amused irony. "Huh. So I'm not the only one with clone problems."

"My dad's clone?" Mu sounded stunned, and as if he was attempting to convince himself it couldn't be true. "You think anyone will believe that fairy tale?"

"I don't want to believe it either," Rau informed him, more than a hint of madness in his voice now. "But unfortunately, it's true!"

Snake ejected the current magazine of his pistol, replaced it, and swapped it for his plasma rifle. "So Carter's not the only clone to have his genetic code go awry. No wonder Rau's off his rocker."

Le Creuset had begun to fire aimlessly, shattering screens and containers with wild bullets. "The final door is about to open," he announced, "and I'm the one opening it!" He laughed insanely. "No matter what happens, no matter how many are destroyed, nothing ever changes! People are amazing that way!" An errant shot released a substance that billowed like smoke on contact with the air. "If that's how they feel, then why don't they just exterminate each other?"

Snake popped up from cover. "You're as insane as Carter, Rau! Listen to yourself, why don't you!" Raising his heavy rifle, he sent a bolt of plasma streaking across the room, narrowly missing the mad ZAFT clone; it instead bored a hole into the wall.

"The world we know will soon come to an end, and the pathetic fools who struggle within it will finally have their wish come true!"

Through all Rau's ranting, Kira had begun to recover his equilibrium; and now he moved. "No!" he shouted; leaping from cover, he snatched up a jagged piece of metal and began running at Le Creuset. "It won't happen! _I won't let you!"_

"No, Kira!" Mu shouted. He brought his gun up and opened fire at the same time Rau did. They both missed, though Rau succeeded in ripping Kira's flight suit and knocking him off-balance... but not before he threw the shard.

Le Creuset cried out and stumbled back as the jagged metal caught his mask and ripped it off. "Ahh!" And finally Rau Le Creuset's face was revealed.

Even Kevin Walker froze at the sight, uncannily similar to Mu's face and undeniably that of the man from the photos... and with the clear, wide eyes of the Berserker. "What?" Mu gasped.

With his mask gone, and the hidden truth of his extraordinary abilities revealed, Rau seemed even less stable. "Do you think you can change what's going to happen? Nobody can do anything about it! For the world full of hatred, is engulfing the universe!"

He suddenly raced from the room, leaving confusion in his wake. "Wait!" Mu called, then slumped against the wall as blood loss had its way with him, weakening him.

Snake fired one last burst of plasma, then shook his head with a curse. "He got away, blast it." He turned to Kira and Mu. "Guys, I think things are about to get busy again. We should go." _And I have to find a way to fight someone who has the SEED... something I haven't had to do since the last time Athrun and I tangled._

Kira nodded. "Can you stand up?"

Mu was silent for long moments. "Yeah," he said finally; and with the help of his fellow pilots, he got to his feet and began heading back the way they'd come.

"How do things look out there, Snake?" Kira asked on the way up.

Kevin understood what his friend was asking, and stretched out with his empathic senses. "All clear," he reported. "Carter's left somehow; it's just Dearka and a less-familiar presence I assume to be Yzak. We'll be fine."

"Speaking of Carter," Mu put in as they climbed, "do you have any idea what he was doing here? Or, for that matter, how he got this far in a short-range mobile suit?"

Snake snorted. "Should be obvious what he was here for, Mu; he was trying to kill me again. The idiot got overconfident, though; thought he was better in a suit than he actually was. As for how he got here... Well, I suspect he's managed to commandeer a ZAFT cap ship of some kind, a _Nazca_ or maybe a _Laurasia_."

"Makes sense," Kira agreed. "He's a sociopath, but if he's got anything like your leadership ability, Carter wouldn't have much trouble getting a crew to follow him." His own mind was on other things, however.

"Spare my blushes," the super-soldier said dryly. "I'm no leader, tovarisch; I know how to make ships work in combat, but at best I'm a small-unit tactician."

They were soon emerging out into the colony proper. "That's not what Commander Waltfeld says," Mu retorted. "He says you took to tactics and strategy like a fish to water."

"Think Andy would say otherwise? It makes _him_ look good."

Kira noticed his friend seemed preoccupied. "Something wrong, Kevin? I mean, besides what Le Creuset said?"

Stormhawk's pilot ruefully nodded. "We got ourselves a little problem," he admitted. "Carter, as you may recall, has a certain fondness for taunting his enemies; something he probably got from me. Anyway, if he's to be believed, he's used the copious blood he caused to leak from me in our last encounter to clone me. Many times."

The Hawk groaned. "Oh, that's just not what we needed to hear, Snake. Having just _one_ of you trying to kill us is bad enough. But fifty?"

"Two hundred," Snake corrected grimly. "In various stages of accelerated growth; that maniac's set up a genetics lab somewhere. Even under those conditions, without enhancement they can only mature so fast, but there are already around a dozen clones maturing, or so he says. From what I know of the process -which isn't much, since until recently I had no idea it could even be done- we've got about two years, give or take, until we start having major problems."

The conversation was interrupted for a time as they reached the Freedom, Stormhawk, and crippled Strike.

* * *

Not far away, Yzak and Dearka were still watching one another when the first signs that all was no longer well outside the colony began to reach them. 

It began with a shaking, and then Le Creuset's voice spoke from Yzak's wrist. _"Yzak, can you hear me? We're leaving!"_

Dearka took that opportunity to walk back toward his own machine; but he glanced back, noting the gun still pointed at him. "If you think leaving ZAFT makes me your enemy then shoot me," he said curtly.

"You're being deceived!" Yzak protested.

Dearka slowly shook his head. "I wonder which one of us is really being deceived?" He didn't have to remind his former comrade of the conversation Snake had relayed to them. "There's nothing else to say. I'm going." Dearka stepped into the rig to lift himself back to his cockpit. "I'd rather not fight you if I have the choice!"

Yzak lowered the pistol, his hair blowing around as the Buster took off. _Dearka... Just what in the world is going on?_

* * *

At about the same time, Kira was climbing into the Freedom, taking Mu with him; the Hawk was in no condition to be flying. 

The powerful suit came to life and grabbed the Strike, while Snake's Stormhawk likewise activated. "If I never see this place again, it'll be too soon," he muttered. "May those madmen rot along with Oracle!"

"You think he was telling the truth, Snake?" Kira asked him. "About your father really being your uncle, and Lacus being your sister?"

"Yeah," his friend said grimly. "Yeah, I think he was; besides, he no doubt knows about my eye by now, so he knows perfectly well I can check it... which is exactly what I'm gonna do once we can relax for a little while."

"First we need to chase off the _Dominion,"_ Dearka put in, joining them. "So has Commander Le Creuset really gone as nuts as he sounded?"

"Yeah, I think that's safe to say," Mu replied. "You... heard all of it, huh?"

Dearka's image appeared on one of the Freedom's screens. "Yeah," he said with a nod. "Snake relayed it. Man, I knew there was something strange about the guy, but I never suspected _this." _Should have, though...

"Neither did I," Kira agreed. He was troubled, having learned of his true origins; but he somehow suspected Kevin was even worse off. The super-soldier had just heard a tale very different from the one he'd learned from Baron Onishi's surviving records, or for that matter Lord Uzumi Nara Athha. That meant that he'd been lied to all his life, that his very birth had been a cold, calculating maneuver, and that had to be eating at him.

_Better have Cagalli talk to him when we get back,_ Kira thought._ Snake finally stops thinking that ZAFT made him a monster, only to learn what _really_ happened to him at his birth._ He grimaced._ Yeah, Cagalli's probably the only one who can straighten him out._

* * *

On the _Archangel_'s Bridge, things were tense. The _Dominion_ had returned for round two, and four of the Three Ships Alliance's machines were still missing. That left the _Archangel_, _Eternal_, and _Kusanagi_ to deal with at least the _Dominion_ and possibly the three _Nazcas_, as well; and just the Justice and the Astrays against the Calamity, Forbidden, Raider, and maybe GINNs, too. 

_This isn't good,_ Murrue thought._ Have we come all this way, only to fail here?_ "Aim Gottfrieds at the_ Dominion,"_ she ordered. "Fire!"

The 225 millimeter duel high-energy beam cannons fired, prompting a quick response on Natarle's part, on her own Bridge. "Evade! Lower bow, pitch angle twenty!"

The battle had been raging like this for several minutes now, and even Athrun's awakened Berserker capabilities were having a hard time keeping up with the onslaught. But finally there came a piece of good news, as Mir examined her sensor readings. "Captain! I have the Freedom, Strike, Buster, and Stormhawk on scanners!" Her throat tightened. "Ma'am, the Strike is badly damaged."

_"We're here,"_ Kira called._ "But Mu's been wounded."_

Murrue felt her heart skip a beat. "How is he?"

_"I'll be okay,"_ Mu himself replied._ "Just... took a couple hits, that's all. Nothing serious."_

Snake's snort was clearly audible. _"Don't listen to him, Murrue; if you do, the idiot might talk you into letting him sortie soon. Look, it's nothing life-threatening, but don't let him con you into thinking it's 'just a scratch'."_ His gaze flickered over to Kira. _"Tovarisch, you'd better land real quick and offload Mu; I'll handle things out here till you get back."_

"Roger that."

The Freedom, still carrying the Strike, maneuvered for a landing, while Kevin's Stormhawk headed out to the main battle, already rearming his weapons. This time, he didn't bother to go stealth; he was in a bad mood and not at all inclined toward subtlety.

Cagalli had noticed their return with vast relief. "About time you got back, Kevin. I was starting to worry a little."

Kevin's visor depolarized for a second, revealing his half-smile. _"You should know better than that, tovarisch. We just had a few delays, that's all_. He visibly hesitated for a moment, trying to decide whether to say anything more. _"Cagalli..."_ he began at last. _"If I don't make it back -which isn't terribly unlikely just now- I just want you to know... I love you."_

Kevin Walker's image winked out before the very startled Cagalli could think of anything to say.

_Did... did he really just say that?_ she thought in shock. Behind her, unheard by all (fortunately for his continued existence), the assassin called Invictus snickered quietly.

_I told you so,_ the clone thought._ Not that I intend to say that to his face._

* * *

On the _Dominion_'s Bridge, things were beginning to look grim again, especially when another report came in. "We have incoming, Captain! Three _Nazcas_ are moving to intercept!" 

"Well, there's one silver lining," Natarle muttered to Azrael as an aside. "Now the _Archangel_ and her companions have something else to worry about; and we won't be the only ones shooting at ZAFT, either."

The Director didn't get a chance to reply, as the communications officer spoke up. "We're receiving a transmission from the _Vesalius_, Ma'am."

She frowned. "Put it on."

Le Creuset's voice issued from the speakers. _"Attention, the _Archangel_-class Earth Forces vessel! Before we commence battle, I'd like to return a captive to you."_

The transmission cut off, leaving Natarle and Azrael to look at each other in confusion.

* * *

Kevin Walker was also monitoring the signal, and he frowned in confusion. _Captive? Who's he talking about? Those ZAFT ships haven't so much as moved until now; how could they have captured someone from the _Dominion? 

He shrugged and pushed it from his mind. He had more important things to worry about; and now that he had said the words that should have been said long ago, Kevin's heart was lighter. Even if he did not return from this battle, nothing was left undone. Of course, he didn't seriously expect to die here.

Maneuvering his powerful machine toward Athrun's beleaguered Justice, Snake keyed his radio. "Mir, this is Snake. Can you give me a sitrep, tovarisch?"

_"Glad to hear from you, Snake,"_ Mir replied._ "Opposition consists of the_ Dominion,_ Calamity, Forbidden, Raider, and an undetermined number of Strike Daggers; in addition, we have the_ Vesalius_ and two other _Nazcas_ closing. They've deployed twelve GINNs, a CGUE, and the Duel. It's not going to be easy, Snake."_

"It never is," he said grimly. "That CGUE will be Le Creuset, I'm sure; Kira dismembered his GuAIZ. Hey, tell Mu I'm gonna try to end this, will ya? He'll understand why."

_"Roger that, Snake,"_ Mir agreed._ "If he's awake, anyway."_

Snake nodded, disconnected, and returned his attention to the battle. "Come on, bastards. Before this day is done, you'll all be space-dust coffins."

Athrun was then very busy; all three of the _Dominion_'s Gundams were attacking him at once. _This isn't good,_ he thought grimly, flinging his machine to the side. As he lined up for a shot from his beam cannons, the Calamity was coming up from behind, readying all its weapons at once.

The threat was suddenly postponed when Snake's Stormhawk kicked it in the head, knocking it for a loop. "Let's dance," the super-soldier called, using his trademark battle cry... or perhaps statement was more appropriate, with his soft-spoken nature.

"About time you showed up," Athrun told him. "Where have you been?" The Justice spun around, snapping off a shot at the Forbidden.

"Visiting a cursed place that I wish had never existed," his friend told him. "And getting a feel for just how crazy Rau Le Creuset really is. Hold on a sec," he added. A Strike Dagger had snuck around behind, trying for a shot at Stormhawk's wings, but Snake had other ideas. Stowing his buster rifles, he snatched the beam sabers from their shoulder sheaths and spun around, neatly cutting the cannon-fodder mobile suit into three even pieces.

"Been busy?" Athrun fired again at the Forbidden, only to have it deflected, as anticipated, by the machine's shields. "And you know, I'm really getting tired of these guys."

"So are we, Athrun," Kira agreed, joining the fight. "Will they ever_give up?"_

* * *

While the mobile suits fought, the three capital ships fought their own deadly dance, with the Three Ships Alliance caught between three ZAFT _Nazcas_ and one Earth Forces _Archangel_. They needed to break through, but it wasn't going to be easy. 

On the _Eternal_'s Bridge, Andy Waltfeld's famed tactical genius was hard at work. "Captain Ramius!" he called.

"Captain Waltfeld?"

"The _Eternal_ and the _Kusanagi_ will deal with the _Nazcas_," Waltfeld told Murrue. "You take care of the _Dominion_."

_"Roger that,"_ she agreed._ "We'll get through them."_

_"Actually,"_ Kisaka interrupted,_ "if we can just manage to survive this battle, I believe Mr. Tyler may have a better idea."_

"Fill us in later," the Desert Tiger said. "That's _after_ we survive this battle."

On the _Dominion_, there was a different tactical dilemma unfolding. "The _Vesalius_ had deployed a lifepod, Ma'am," the fire-control officer reported. "It's floating through the debris now."

Natarle clenched a fist. "How can they deploy a lifepod into the middle of this without even waiting for a response from us?"

"Good question," Azrael agreed. "Well, what do you want to do, Ms. Captain? Think they want us to pull it in, or destroy it?" He stroked his chin. "If this is a trap, it's a strange one. Is there really a captive aboard it?"

That question was soon answered to Natarle's satisfaction, as a familiar voice came over the speakers; the transmission was an omnidirectional broadcast, but it was evident who the intended recipient was. _"Somebody, help me! _Archangel_, anyone, please! It's me! Please, help me!"_

Natarle's eyes widened. "What...?"

_"It's me!"_ the voice repeated._ "Flay, Flay Allster!_ Archangel,_ please rescue me!"_

The _Dominion_'s captain instantly reached a decision. "Calamity! Ensign Sabnak, retrieve that pod at once!"

The biological CPU's surprise was evident. _"What?"_

Azrael glanced at her. "Are you sure about that, Captain? It could still be a trap."

"That was Flay Allster," Natarle told him. "The daughter of the late Vice Foreign Minister of the Atlantic Federation. As you may know, she used to be aboard the _Archangel_; evidently, sometime after her transfer she was captured by ZAFT."

Flay was continuing to transmit. _"Please, help! I... I have something with me! It's a key! The key that's supposed to end the war!"_

* * *

Across the kilometers of space the battle encompassed, more than one head turned at those words, especially the name... particularly Kira Yamato. 

At that moment, the Calamity had just blown off the Freedom's left wing, but now that Orga had other orders, Kira was free to act. "Flay!" He charged off in pursuit of the Earth Alliance machine, with Athrun's Justice trying to catch up. _I can't let her down... not again..._

"Idiot," Kevin muttered. But he, too, turned and boosted away on Orga's heels. "Hang on, Flay," he told himself. "We're coming. Just hang on..." _Though we're crazy to even be attempting this..._

"Kira, wait!" Athrun shouted. "Just wait a minute-"

Kira ignored all else as he neared the Calamity and the lifepod... including the two machines coming up behind him. He didn't even bother to dodge when the Forbidden's plasma cannon erupted, literally melting half the Freedom's head off. And to add insult to injury, the Raider's Mjollnir knocked what was left clean off the nuclear-powered machine's shoulders.

"Kira!" The Justice neatly slid into the path of the next plasma burst, taking the energy fire on his own shield. "Kira, your machine's in no condition to take them on!"

Kira ignored his friend, instead adjusting his radio. "Flay!" Frustrated, he tweaked the frequency slightly. _"Flay!"_

Flay heard his call. "Kira?" she whispered. Tears filled her eyes, hearing a voice she thought lost forever; her old hatred of him, for having failed to save her father, was all gone now. "Kira, is it really you?" _Kira's... alive?_

"Flay..." How his ex-girlfriend had ended up in a ZAFT lifepod, Kira didn't know; but it was good to hear her voice again, especially after how they'd parted.

But it was a short-lived pleasure; Orga had already snatched up the pod and was heading back to the barn, faithfully following his orders (however little he might have liked or understood them).

On the _Dominion_, Natarle Badgiruel sat bolt upright. "That voice..." she whispered. "Kira Yamato... he's still alive!" She had thought him dead at the same time as Snake; killed when the Aegis self-destructed.

Athrun anticipated Kira's next move, and didn't allow the Freedom to move. "No, Kira," he said softly. "There's nothing you can do."

"She's someone I hurt," Kira said, voice strange, even to his own ears. "I... I have to protect her."

While the Buster covered the retreat, Snake floated in place, watching the Calamity go. _No... Not after all this._ He slammed his left fist into his control panel. _You see!_ he raged at himself. _You can't protect anyone! Not even yourself!_

Kevin felt even worse than Kira; for while he and Flay had parted on a sour note, when Kevin had last spoken to her, it had been a death threat. He'd told her he knew what she'd been doing with Kira, how she'd been manipulating him, and told her that if she tried it on him, he'd shoot her dead.

I misjudged you, Flay. I'm sorry.

"Hey, Snake!" Dearka called, interrupting his thoughts. "We've got the Forbidden and Raider closing. Mind lending us a hand?"

Kevin stirred. "Roger that."

"Take this!" Clotho shouted, tossing out his Mjollnir again. If it connected, the Freedom would lose something more vital then its head... but it did not connect.

The Stormhawk's shoulder-mounted machine cannons deflected the weapon's course, and then the twin buster rifle came into play. Firing at half power, narrow beam, the powerful shot would have vaporized a lesser machine; as it was, the Raider was blasted backwards, toward the _Dominion_, with its pilot feeling the heat.

Then came the Forbidden's turn. "Take this!" Shani said gleefully, swinging his scythe.

Two things happened at once: Snake's beam sabers swung out, lopping off the Forbidden's deflectors, and Tolle's Wraith decloaked, using the moment of surprise to swing his own beam scythe. "My scythe's better than yours!" Tolle shouted again, once again destroying Shani's main weapon.

"And don't come back, either!" Max concurred.

* * *

With Flay's lifepod in their clutches, and the mysterious "key", the _Dominion_ retreated from battle. That left just the ZAFT forces blocking the way. 

Lacus Clyne had hit upon a plan, though. "Captain Waltfeld," she began.

Waltfeld glanced back at her. "Hm?"

"Target all weapons on the _Vesalius,_" she requested. "If we can blast through her, we'll have a clear path to safer territory."

"But if we charge right at them," DaCosta protested, "all three of them will target us directly! We wouldn't stand a chance!"

Lacus shook her head. "If we concentrate fire from both the _Eternal_ and the _Kusanagi_, she'll go down fast; and once she's gone, we'll have a clear path."

Waltfeld considered this, then smiled. "You're right." He looked down at his sensor officer. "What about the _Archangel_? Are they in range to assist?"

"Negative, sir, not yet."

"Hmm. Well, we'll manage. Prepare main cannon and both METEOR units." He tapped a radio key. "Racher, can you lend us a shot or two?"

_"Neg,"_ the super-solider responded._ "We're still inbound; and Kira still needs cover."_

"Understood. We'll get it done without you." The two ships could certainly blow away a single _Nazca_ on their own; but the Stormhawk's beam cannon would have been nice.

"We're locked on, Captain!"

_"So are we,"_ Kisaka said from his Bridge.

"Then it's time."

On the Bridges of the _Eternal_, _Kusanagi_, and _Vesalius_, the same command rang out. "Fire!"

Five ships fired simultaneously; and this time, it was not the force with superior numbers that won. The _Nazcas_ had more ships, but their opposition had more powerful guns... and they were all trained on the same target.

On the _Vesalius_, Captain Fredrik Ades gritted his teeth as the damage reports came in. "We can't control the plasma surge! Ship temperature is rising too fast to control!"

Ades slowly stood. He knew he was a dead man; the instant those ships had chosen to single out his, his luck had run out. _It was a good war,_ he thought. _At least I die in good company._ Ades raised his hand in a salute to those who had destroyed his ship, and died with his honor intact.

Watching the _Vesalius_ be consumed by fire and explosion, three pilots with the Three Ships Alliance saluted: Athrun, Dearka, and of all people Kevin Walker. He, too, had once been a soldier of ZAFT, however unwillingly, and he had once had the honor of meeting Fredrik Ades. "Farewell, Captain," he whispered. "You did as duty and honor demanded. Rest in peace."

"We're retreating," Rau Le Creuset told his pilots and remaining ships. "It won't do any good for us to fight the Earth Forces now."

Unmolested, the _Archangel_, _Eternal_, and _Kusanagi_ sailed onward in their long journey.

* * *

For the first time in what felt like weeks but could only have been a few hours, the weary crews and pilots had a chance to rest. They had lost their base, but succeeded in escaping the forces arrayed against them... even if they had lost a comrade to the enemy. 

Kira and Athrun had both landed on the _Eternal_, and they now began to unwind in the pilot's locker room, overlooking the hanger. "You okay, Kira?" Athrun asked.

The brown-haired pilot managed a tired smile. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

"At least we survived it," his friend pointed out. "Any battle you live through can be counted as a small victory." He smiled. "At least, that's what Kevin would probably say."

The compartment's hatch opened, and Lacus drifted in. "Kira? Are you all right?"

Kira's head turned, and his eyes widened in recognition; but he was not seeing Lacus Clyne. Instead, he saw Flay Allster, and she was calling to him. _"Kira!"_

He looked away. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and his eyes closed.

"Kira!"

"He's okay," a wall speaker said. "Snake says he just fainted. He'll be fine in a little bit; he just needs a little rest. Or so says the great super-soldier, anyway."

Athrun turned. "How can he tell, Max? Oh, of course." He'd forgotten about the psychic link that connected the two, the barely-understood phenomenon that allowed them to operate like one in the thick of battle.

"We'd better get him to the Infirmary, just the same," Lacus said, worried. "He doesn't seem to be doing very well."

* * *

Upon hearing of Kira's collapse, Cagalli immediately took a shuttle over to the _Eternal_, piloted by Juri Wu Nien and accompanied by Kevin's Stormhawk; the two had not met face-to-face since his last, startling transmission. 

While they were en route, Murrue was visiting Mu in the _Archangel_'s Infirmary. She, too, had heard what happened to Kira, and was speaking to the _Eternal_'s Bridge. "What?" She listened for a time. "I see. Thank you. Please take good care of him." Murrue hung up, and turned to the sickbed. "Kira fainted," she told Mu; she picked up the photo album that rested on a stool next to the bunk, sat, and opened it. "But they tell me he wasn't wounded in battle."

Mu sighed. "I can't say I'm surprised," he said quietly. He, too, remembered how close Kira had once been to Flay; his failure to rescue her, coming on the heels of learning his true origins, must have hit him hard.

"I'm told he'll be fine, though." She idly sifted through the pictures; they had been brought back from GARM by Kira, for reasons perhaps he himself did not know.

"My father..." Mu began quietly, "was an... arrogant, and tyrannical man. He thought he could solve every problem, even death, with his money; and he didn't really care about anyone else. Especially his own son." He paused for breath; he still wasn't exactly in great shape. "He died when I was little, and that's really all I can remember about him." The Hawk managed a quiet laugh. "But I never expected _this_. And a defective product, at that. Snake could probably tell you more about the details -he's got more clones than you can shake a stick at- but the basic thing is, he ages too quickly; shortened telomeres. He doesn't regenerate the way others do."

Something occurred to Murrue. "That's what happened to Kevin isn't it? It wasn't the cybernetics..."

"No," Mu concurred. "He's the opposite of Le Creuset: he ages far slower than normal, thanks to the genetic engineering; he'll be going strong when we've been gone for decades, maybe centuries. No wonder he's still a soldier; he probably doesn't want to live on after his friends are all gone. But Le Creuset... I suspect Doctor Hibiki did this to him deliberately, out of revulsion for what my father had him create. But it means he has no past, no future... maybe not even an identity." He shook his head. "How could this happen?"

"None of this is your fault," she said soothingly. "Oh, Mu..."

"I won't let him get away with this," he hissed, clenching his fist. "I won't let him fulfill his crazy dream!"

"You may have to take a number," Murrue said dryly. "I think Kevin would be delighted to do the job himself." She frowned. "Which reminds me... Invictus has an interesting scheme in mind for him. If they can pull it off, it would be very helpful..."

* * *

On the _Eternal_, Kevin and Cagalli had arrived at Kira's room, where they found Athrun and Lacus already keeping watch. 

Snake, curiously, had not said a word since coming aboard; he seemed to be brooding again, which surprised Cagalli almost as much as his statement during the battle. He hadn't looked that depressed in months.

Her attention was quickly diverted to the picture at Kira's bedside; it, too, had been brought back from GARM... and Cagalli recognized it. "What...?"

Athrun glanced at her, puzzled, and then his eyes widened as well, when she brought out her copy of the photograph. They were identical...

Attention refocused on Kira as he finally stirred. "Kira?" Lacus said softly, looking down at him.

Once again, his eyes saw someone else, and he looked away quickly, shying from Flay's face. "No..."

"Kira?" she said again, now quite concerned.

(_C'mon, Kira, snap out of it,_) Snake told him. (_That's Lacus, idiot, not Flay._) He had sensed through their link what Kira had been seeing.

The silent words finally brought Kira back to his senses, and looked up at Lacus. "Sorry," he said, sounding slightly sheepish. "Thanks."

"Kira..." Cagalli broke in. When he looked at her, she lifted the two photos; and to her surprise, her brother turned away, as if ashamed. "Kira...?"

Athrun exchanged glances with Kevin and, ignoring her protests, pulled Cagalli from the room, leaving Kira alone with Lacus.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" she snapped once in the corridor.

"Now's... not the best time to ask him about it," Athrun said with a slight smile.

"Yeah," Snake agreed, voice quiet. "Better to let my sister handle things for now."

There was dead silence as Athrun and Cagalli stared at him incredulously. Then they spoke simultaneously. "Your _what?"_

Kevin laughed humorlessly. "I'm not who I thought I was, tovarisch. All my life, I've been lied to, by everybody. There's no such person as Kevin Onishi. There never was!"

"What are you babbling about?" Athrun demanded. _If you've decided now's a good time to lose your mind, Kevin, I'll shoot you..._

"Baron John Tyler Onishi was not my father," Kevin said precisely. "He was my uncle, and I wish the bastard was still alive just so that I could have the pleasure of killing him myself." His fists clenched, unconsciously extending the lethal claws from both hands (for his cybernetic replacement had included those, as well). "Baron Onishi, using genetic samples from his brother-in-law, Siegel Clyne, and his wife, had me created artificially, and then cloned me, producing the embryo that would later be known as Michael Carnehan." He laughed again, then abruptly slammed his left fist into the bulkhead. "Orb's secret weapon? The Guardian? What a crock! I'm nothing but the test bed for the most radical mutations ever designed into a human being! I'm just an experiment, one which was fully expected to fail!"

Cagalli blinked. "What? Kevin, you can't mean..."

"My 'father' never expected me to survive," Kevin went on bitterly. "That's why Carnehan -my first clone, _not_ my brother- was created, so that the data from my failure could be used for a successful attempt. But then I exceeded all expectations by surviving to be born, and even thriving! So the good Baron, that madman of a scientist and politician, formally adopted me, told Lord Uzumi some nonsense about Orb's 'last resort', and tried to keep me as far away from the military as possible. He buried what he'd done, hid the atrocities he'd committed, and kept from me the truth: that I was garbage from the day I was born!"

As Cagalli considered how best to knock some sense into the man she loved, Athrun shook his head in stunned amusement. "So I was nearly Kevin Walker's brother-in-law," he said to himself. "The world is a strange place." He looked up then, eyes narrow. "Now snap out of it, Kevin," he snapped. "You've got no business saying something like that." He snorted irritably. "'Garbage'? Is that it? Then how come you've nearly killed me a dozen times?"

About then, before the super-soldier could respond, Cagalli came to a decision. She grabbed Kevin's shoulder, looked him straight in the eye, and decked him.

More startled than injured, he collided with the bulkhead, for once looking as surprised as he felt. "Wha...?"

"Moron!" Cagalli glared at him, shaking her aching fist (punching someone in the jaw tended to be painful enough; when said person's jaw was half metal and half alloy-reinforced bone, it was _extremely_ unpleasant). "I thought you knew better than that by now! You are what you choose to be, not what your uncle or ZAFT or anyone else tried to make you! And what you are is _not_ some kind of failed experiment!"

Kevin shook his head, trying to clear it. "Then what am I?" he whispered. "If I was never who I thought I was, then who am I now?"

"You're Kevin Walker," she told him in a softer tone. "You're the soldier who came back from the dead to complete his mission, the pilot who tried to and nearly succeeded in saving Orb. And you're the young man who cared enough to fly beyond the point of no return in a mobile armor to rescue me on a deserted island." At this, Athrun chuckled; he had, after all, been the one whom Snake had rescued her from that day.

He rubbed his aching jaw, a rare vulnerable look in his eyes; a look only seen when he doubted himself. "So what's left for me? What's left for someone whose only identity is the one he created for himself?"

"Your mission," Cagalli said softly, floating over to him. "Your friends." She hugged him tight. "And me." Neither noticed Athrun's discrete exit.

"Thanks..." Kevin whispered, returning the embrace (carefully; he could crush a grizzly bear to death). "I..."

"I know..." She pulled back, just enough to look him in the eye. "But why didn't you tell me? After all these years..."

He looked significantly at his right arm. "I'm bad luck," he said softly. "Too many people I care for have died around me... some by my own hand."

Had Cagalli been less worried about his emotional state just then, she would have slapped him. "Kevin, when are you going to realize people make their own decisions, to risk themselves or not?"

"I _know_ that," Kevin replied, pained. "If I didn't before, I would have after Athrun read me the riot act on the _Kusanagi,_ the day we returned to space. But... I've lost too much..."

"You're _not_ going to lose me," she said flatly. "I can take care of myself, and besides... you're always there to look after me, right?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am... though I should mention I was also more than a little nervous your father would try to have me assassinated again."

Cagalli snorted. "No way. Not after our... discussion... after I heard what happened. If tones were corrosive, he'd have melted on the spot."

"Well, that sort of explains things..." Kevin murmured, remembering Lord Uzumi's parting words to him. "You know..." he said slowly, "I never told you everything Lord Uzumi said to me that day..."

She tilted her head. "That's right, you didn't. I _thought_ you were hiding something though. So spit it out," she ordered.

"He said... that if anything happened between us... we had his blessing..."

Cagalli blinked back sudden tears, or tried; finally, she gave up and buried her face in Kevin's shoulder, crying softly.

He held her close. _It's about time..._ he thought. _Though the 'I told you so' comments are gonna get real old, real fast... unless I threaten to open the ship to space... yeah, that might do it... But it doesn't matter right now. What matters is that we're together, like we always should have been... Of course, if _Max_ says a word, I'll scramble her programming. 'Leave nothing undone' indeed! Yeah, Max, that's _exactly_ what you wanna tell a guy who's gonna live for two centuries and can't seem to stay dead. Mm-hm... Ah, forget it; that blasted computer ain't here, and Cagalli _is,_ so... nothing else matters._

The two drifted there for a time, alone, neither saying a word... until another voice, like Kevin's but with a touch of Australian in his accent, spoke up. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, mates," Invictus drawled, a slight grin on his face, "but the captains would like to see you, Snake. Seems we've got a little mission for you."

The pair pulled apart, sharing an exasperated look, and Kevin turned his head to look at his clone. "Always something, isn't it? I'll- excuse me, _we'll_ be right there... and if you ever have that bad timing again, or say 'I told you so', I'm going to burn you to ashes."

* * *

Glossary of Extra-series and Unique Terms

* * *

Zoanthrope:

Human being, Natural or Coordinator, capable of "unleashing the beast within". Those with the gene, speculated to have begun as a mutation, are capable of transforming their bodies into a hybrid of human and animal, with strength and abilities comparable to the fusion (i.e. avian and bat-like zoanthropes can fly, while chameleons change color to match their environment, etc).

While most zoanthropes come by their powers through heredity and various random genetic factors, some are created via embryonic-stage genetic engineering, either deliberately or accidentally (usually during creation of first-generation Coordinators). It also possible, through gene therapy, to "modify" mature or semi-mature normal humans into zoanthropes. However, this method usually results in the "man-made" zoanthrope becoming physically unstable, requiring a specially-synthesized hormone to survive (though there is one substitute: the insect zoanthrope Stun, formerly Doctor Steven Goldberg, survived by becoming a vampiric vigilante: he sucked the blood of criminals, thus sustaining his gradually-deteriorating body while ridding the world of the scum of the Earth). Others, such as the aforementioned Stun, begin to lose their memories.

Still others, such as a yet-to-be-revealed man-made zoanthrope, fall somewhere in between: stable bodies, but without full control over their powers.

At this time, the most famous living zoanthrope is Kevin Walker, who is perhaps unique among his kind: the Crimson Tiger's empathic abilities -which all zoanthropes possess, in some measure- are extremely powerful, allowing him to sense the emotions of others, as well as being the root cause of a telepathic link between him and his friend Kira Yamato (despite this link, however, there is as yet no indication Kevin Walker is a functional telepath, and all research indicates full telepathy is impossible even for him).

Project ABADDON:

ZAFT super-soldier project, proposed by Commander Rau Le Creuset, authorized by Committee Chairman Patrick Zala, and led by the scientist known by the codename Oracle. Twelve of the best and brightest Coordinators that could be found were cybernetically augmented and trained via experimental chemical learning techniques, thus producing the strongest soldiers in the history of mankind. Had they ever been deployed, these twelve "Destroyers" could have, completely unarmed, wiped out an entire battalion of normal soldiers, Natural or Coordinator. Armed with weapons commensurate with their freakish strength, they could have annihilated a regiment; but the unit was never sent into the field. Before they could be activated, their brainwashed leader, none other than Kevin Walker, overcame his conditioning and destroyed everything in the lab, including himself; the exact cause of his survival would never be known to anyone except a long-dead scientist called Oracle. (For a full explanation of ABADDON, see Chapter 10: The Truth in the Scars.)

Nanotechnology:

Theorized for some years, and experimented with for some time, the first practical application of nanotechnology -nanites- was in the augmentation package of Kevin Walker, codename Hydra, of the Destroyers (he was the only member of the unit to receive the full package, and thus the only one with nanites). The primary purpose of these nanites was to repair injuries sustained by their host, but they also served to maintain his built-in electronic and mechanical systems, as well as providing the basis of his fifteen-centimeter claws, hidden within his hands.

Unbeknownst to anyone but the dead project leader Oracle, the nanites had a secondary purpose, one which was unaffected by Jack Carter's assault on Kevin Walker...

Project Serpent's Head:

An abortive attempt to create an army of super-soldiers, based on Kevin Walker's DNA and RNA. The Project was terminated after only twenty-three copies -one of them unauthorized- by the destruction of the ABADDON lab; all but one of the authorized clones were systematically hunted down and terminated by Rau Le Creuset's private assassin, Invictus, who later turned out to be the unauthorized clone.

At this juncture, only the first Serpent's Head, Jack Carter, survives.

Destroyer/s:

Term used to describe members of Project ABADDON; the usage comes from the English translation of the Project's Hebrew codename. (Abaddon is a creature mentioned in the Book of Revelation.)

Often described, like their collective name, as monsters, the individual Destroyers were also given codenames from mythical monsters; for example, their leader, Commander Kevin Walker, was known as Hydra, while his second in command, Rachel Carver, had the alias of Medusa. Also among their ranks was Hydra's clone, Michael Carnehan, codename Kraken; Erica Hawke, codename Scylla; Charlie Evans, codename Talos; Simon Priest, codename Cerberus; Tom Aldrich, codename Manticore; Tanya Coleson, alias Harpy; Alec King, codename Basilisk; Mark DeVries, codename Chimera; Alan Clark, codename Minotaur; and Tessa Dortmund, codename Gorgon.

* * *

Author's note: The truth of Kevin Walker's origins has finally been revealed, as well as those of Kira Yamato and Rau Le Creuset; to what Fate are they destined?  
Jack Carter has disappeared, but he will not stay in the shadows forever. One day, Kevin Walker will have to settle accounts with his sociopathic clone… 

Okay, I'm not sure how many of you are actually surprised by this chapter's twists; if you've read RVD's fic, you probably already knew. Still, I trust I caught at least _some_ of you by surprise.

Next chapter: Who Dares, Wins. The long-promised major plot twist is about to arrive; I think I can safely say it'll be a complete surprise.

One question I'd like to pose before I get to the responses: does anyone know if tracks like Invoke are on any of the Gundam SEED OST CDs? I know only a few words of Japanese, and none of the written form, so track lists are fairly useless to me.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, as you may have noticed from this chapter's events, Carter most _certainly_ will be back; with a vengeance, like I said.

Yes, Kevin will get the Wing Zero Custom in the sequel; it's part of a very ambitious plan I have in mind, and tied in with several other plans, some of which will be revealed in this story, some which will be hinted at in the series of one-shots. Suffice it to say that while my knowledge of Destiny is still quite incomplete, I know enough to make surprisingly detailed plans with regard to events I _am_ certain of.

Ominae, I'm… not sure what exactly you're talking about, but in any case, there will be more Murrue/Kevin interaction in the next chapter.

RVD, I know _you_ weren't surprised by the events of this chapter; but next chapter should surprise even you. As always, I have kept at least something very secret. I have no intention of spoiling _this_ one.

Shinji Ikari, the thing with Chapter 19, it would appear, is that I misremembered your review; I'll make the requisite modifications soon enough.

The bit with George Glenn's brain… ugh. That's actually just a little bit creepy; glad I'm not too squeamish. For myself, I think I might prefer death to such an existence. In any case, the information may be useful to me, in some manner or another.

Now, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on the matter of world peace. You say we have fewer wars than we did in centuries past.

I say: have you heard anything about London lately? Or Israel? Or Iraq?

My point is that while _declared_ wars are declining, the bloodshed really isn't. It's just that instead of uniformed soldiers going out on clearly-defined fields of battle to fight for clearly-defined goals, we have terrorists going out to blow up civilians, thus necessitating our sending out troops to hunt them down. Just because the wars aren't declared doesn't mean they aren't being fought; and remember what Saddam Hussein did to the Kurds back in the 80s, just for example. It's my opinion that war is part of human nature, and _highly_ unlike to change.

I agree completely with Kevin Walker: world peace is a myth.

Now that I've said my daily quota of societal ranting, I'll get to less controversial topics.

With regard to Kevin turning up behind Le Creuset, I didn't mean to suggest he actually snuck up on him. Obviously Rau would no he was there; but he wouldn't necessarily be able to do anything about it. After all, Kevin's the fastest human being in existence, and Le Creuset has two other targets to worry about, to boot.

Yes, the explanation of Kevin's survival will also apply to when he was assassinated; but I must admit it was a little tricky to figure out all the details. For example, in order to properly pull off a highly dramatic scene near the end (and probably in the sequel, as well), it becomes necessary to explain for the benefit of the reader, yet still leave Kevin himself completely in the dark. However, I think I've got it all worked out, as you'll see.

I hope I handled Le Creuset's mannerisms as well as I did in the last chapter; if there's anything that seems out of place, let me know (though I expect you would anyway).

Given your aversion to spoilers, even if you've read RVD's story I expect you heeded the spoiler warning about Kevin's past, so I imagine this chapter's revelations _were_ at least a little surprising; though I'll be interested to see just how close to the mark your theory was.

About Carter's GuAIZ… well, think about it: Carter, being a ground-pounder just like Kevin was, at the start, wouldn't really know much about mobile suit combat; and a GuAIZ, unless you've got someone like Rau Le Creuset in the cockpit, just isn't a real threat to a G-unit. I didn't see much point in including a battle that would take about two moves; all that really needed to be said was that it was no contest. (I had an even better explanation all thought out, but I forgot it; if I can remember it, I'll include in next chapter's notes.)

To pull off the originality in the battle, I used the simple of expedient of _not_ watching the actual episode for awhile. In other words, if I can't remember the canon, I can't use it.

As for lack of humorous lines… Hmm. I thought Kevin's repartee to Orga ("Because your breath stinks") wasn't bad, but maybe that's just me…

When it comes to Athrun not passing on Kevin's message to Yzak… well, I confess I quite simply forgot about it. I may have to insert something in the next chapter; believe me, there'll be opportunity…

I'm not quite sure how Yzak's actions during Kevin's brief chase of Carter worked out the way it did; it kind of wrote itself, if you know what I mean. Of course, if he and Dearka _had_ gotten involved, they probably would have been slaughtered. Carter doesn't have the full augmentation package, but he's still _very_ dangerous.

Carter might have played a larger role in the events here, but like I said last chapter, this isn't his time to shine. As of Brothers in Arms, he's only just getting his own operation set up; assuming he has the brains of the original -which he certainly ought to- he wouldn't want to risk going after the Three Ships Alliance at that point. After being unexpectedly trounced by Kevin, his first priority would be to get the blazes out of there and regroup.

Rest assured, though, that this isn't the last that will be seen of Jack Carter. He may not appear again here, but he'll be around to cause Kevin Walker problems in the future.

Of course, Kevin _also_ knows that, and will doubtless be prepared for his clone's return…

Thirteen hundred words and one hour of author's notes; typical. Well, that about covers things; let me know how surprising this chapter was (if at all). -Solid Shark


	33. Chapter 33: Who Dares, Wins

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, his clones, and Max

* * *

Irritated though he was by his clone's timing, Kevin was nonetheless intrigued as he and Cagalli took the launch she'd used to reach the _Eternal_ over to the _Archangel_. _What sort of mission,_ he wondered, _would they need me for?_

Upon coming aboard, a crewman directed them to the Infirmary, where the three captains and Martin DaCosta had gathered at Mu's bedside. The man had no idea what was up, but he informed them something big was apparently in the works.

"I suppose," Kevin muttered to Cagalli, "that it requires either a very powerful mobile suit, or a super-soldier. Probably the latter, though I can't imagine why."

"If we're going to the Infirmary, the Commander's probably near the bottom of it," she replied. "Whatever it is."

The hatch slid open, and Murrue glanced up. "Ah, there you are, Snake. I trust we didn't interrupt anything?"

Snake rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Murrue. So, what's so important that you called me all the way here to the _Archangel?_ I assume you've got more in mind than a chat." _You'd better, at least; I could wring John's neck for choosing that particular moment to interrupt._

"You could say that, Racher," Waltfeld concurred. "Fact is, we need an intrusion expert, and you and Invictus are the only ones we've got; not to mention that you have a certain... knowledge of this class of ship."

The super-soldier tilted his head. "Okay, you've got my attention. What do you need an assassin for?"

"As I'm sure you noticed," Mu began, "Flay was captured by the _Dominion_. She's safe, even among them, but we're just a little concerned by her reference to 'the key that's supposed to end the war'. If she was aboard the _Vesalius_, that means she got this 'key' from Rau Le Creuset, and frankly, I don't trust that bastard as far as I could throw him. He's given the Earth Forces some crucial piece of information... and I'm betting it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart." _Assuming he has one._

Snake stroked his chin. "Okay. So you want me to infiltrate the _Dominion_, hack the computers to find the info, and extract Flay? Sounds simple."

"Actually..." Murrue said with a slow smile, "...we've got something a little more ambitious in mind." She nodded at the bulkhead, to which a copy of the _Archangel_'s blueprints had been affixed. "You're obviously familiar with the ship's layout and specifications -you helped design the class, after all- so if anyone can pull it off, you can."

Kevin rolled his eyes again. "Okay, your flattery is appreciated. Now would you mind getting to the point?"

"We want to know if you can lead a team aboard the ship and capture it," Mu said bluntly. "Can you?"

His first reaction was a snort of derision, but then he paused, expression suddenly thoughtful. "You know..." Kevin said slowly. "That just might be possible; wouldn't be if I didn't have all those handy backdoor programs, but with them..." He glanced at DaCosta. "Let me guess: that's what _you're_ doing here."

Waltfeld's protégé nodded. "Right. _If_ you can pull it off, I'll be supplying the team who will follow you aboard, secure the vital areas, and provide a skeleton crew. That may not be necessary, though."

"How's that?"

Kisaka took that question. "You're well-acquainted with the _Dominion_'s captain, and I believe she knows you well enough to know you were telling the truth, were you to inform her of the true circumstances surrounding the attack on Orb. And if you can convince her, she may be able to convince enough of her crew to join us to keep the ship in fighting trim. After all, an _Archangel_-class doesn't require a large crew."

"That's true," Kevin agreed. _"We_ managed it with a couple of dozen. Okay, let's see..." He traced a finger over the blueprints. "All right. Infiltration will be a relatively simple matter; with my codes, I can trick the radar, cause a temporary loss of communications, and open the flight decks. Once we're inside, we take the hanger right away, in order to secure the LZ, then split into small teams and take the armory, Bridge, and Engineering; those are the most critical areas. Without the armory, they're limited to the odd weapons locker, and without Bridge and Engineering they can't control the ship or scuttle her."

"So it _can_ be done?" Murrue pressed.

Snake nodded decisively. "Yes, Murrue, it can be done. And will be, as soon as you give the word."

"Better get to it, then," she told him. "We don't know how much time we have, and the _Dominion_ will soon be beyond our reach. Use whatever resources you need from any of the ships; this action may be vital."

"Roger that." He turned to leave, then glanced back. "Oh, and tell Kira... I'm gonna get Flay out of there, no matter what. Even if the main objective fails, I won't let the Earth Forces have her."

* * *

Within hours, the strike team had been launched. DaCosta and his men used Invictus' old shuttle, since upgraded with Mirage Colloid; escorting them were the Stormhawk and Tolle's Wraith, though Tolle would be returning to the _Archangel_ once the operation was in progress. 

Operating under cloak, his advanced computers keeping an eye on the shuttle's projected flight path, Kevin mentally ran through the access codes. Once they were used, the operation could not be aborted; the _Dominion_ would surely detect the transmission. From then on, there would be no turning back.

Finally, he was satisfied everything was as ready as it would ever be. This would be his first true infiltration mission in years, and also the first time he worked with a team; ABADDON had not lasted long enough. Snake's one regret was that Cagalli was not with him, but he knew there had not been a choice. She was a competent ground soldier, but she was not trained in boarding actions. She'd have to sit this one out... though he expected she'd probably fly over the instant the ship was under control.

"DaCosta to Snake," his radio said, breaking into his thoughts. "Coming up on Target Delta; about time for you to get to work, Boss."

"Why do people keep calling me that?" Snake muttered. He keyed his radio. "Roger that." As the Earth Alliance Forces Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_ grew on his display, he tapped commands into his comm system. "Transmitting command codes... _now."_

"Showtime, Boss." The stealthed shuttle settled in behind the Stormhawk, both vehicles dropping cloak. "Ready when you are."

"Here's where I break off," Tolle called; his job had been escort, and a dull assignment it had been. "Good luck, Snake."

"Okay," Kevin whispered. "Here we go." The _Dominion_'s starboard flight deck opened up ahead of them, and the strike team began its intrusion. _One more unto the breach, dear friends..._

* * *

Natarle looked up, startled, when the alarms went off. _"Intruder alert!"_ the intercom blared. _"Intruder alert! Unauthorized entry into hanger!"_

She spun in her chair. "What's going on?" she snapped.

"I don't know!" her comm officer replied, confused. "We have reports of weapons' fire in the hanger bay; and Director Azrael's shuttle just launched!"

"Coward," Natarle muttered; it didn't surprise her that Muruta Azrael had jumped ship at the first sign of true danger. "What about his machines? Are the biological CPUs still aboard?"

"Negative, Ma'am; they appear to be escorting the shuttle."

"Figures." She hit an intercom button. "All hands, prepare to repel boarders! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is _not_ a drill! We have hostiles in the hanger bay; don't let them into the rest of the ship!"

"We've lost contact with the hanger, Captain," the comm officer reported. "Weapons' fire reported in the corridors; Engineering reports it is under attack." He paused. "Ma'am, we have surveillance footage from the hanger bay prior to loss of communications."

"Put it on the screen," Natarle ordered.

She was not in the least bit surprised to see the Stormhawk land; only Kevin Walker was audacious enough to attempt such an attack. _He's probably after Azrael,_ she thought. _Too bad the rat already fled. But if you think I'm going to let you have my ship that easily, Snake, you'd better think again._

Unfortunately, knowing the Snake, there was a very good chance he would pull it off.

Nonetheless, the cold voice that spoke from the aft section of the Bridge several minutes later came as quite a surprise. "Nobody move," Snake ordered. "Or I'll pull this trigger."

Natarle slowly stood and faced her former shipmate. He was standing in front of the elevator doors, still in his sealed flight suit, and he was aiming his plasma rifle directly at the Bridge's bow viewport. "You'll never get away with this," she said flatly, aware even as she spoke how cliché it sounded. "You're outnumbered."

"Actually, Natarle, I _have _gotten away with it." His eyes scanned the room. "Does anyone dispute that?"

She looked away, disgusted with herself for having lost control so easily. _And I actually have the nerve to call myself a soldier? _"All right, people," she said tiredly. "Do as he-"

"Die, space monster!"

Even Kevin looked surprised when the fire-control officer and CIC commander lunged for him simultaneously, sidearms out. But he was not so surprised that he allowed them any sort of chance. He released his grip on the rifle, drew his 10mm, and shot them both in a fraction of a second.

"Anyone else care to try anything?" he said dryly. "Next time I might not be so generous. Next time, I might flash-fry the lot of you. Now," he went on, glancing at the unoccupied chair to the left of the Captain's, "where is Muruta Azrael? I have a score to settle with him."

Natarle shook her head in genuine regret. "Sorry, Snake, you just missed him." She looked around the Bridge. "So what are you going to do now? Scuttle the ship?"

To her surprise, Kevin half-smiled. "No, Natarle, I have no intention of doing anything of the sort." He crossed over to the command chair and punched up the intercom. "This is Snake. The Bridge is secure. All teams report."

_"Armory secure."_

_"Engineering secure,"_ DaCosta reported.

_"Crew quarters secure."_

_"Brig secure."_

_"The ship's secure, Boss,"_ DaCosta said._ "All crew accounted for; except Azrael and his people."_

"Don't worry about them," Snake said in disgust. "They're gone; but by no means safe. All right, then; standby for now, and report anything earth-shattering." He switched to an all-hands setting. "Attention, crew of the Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_. This is Kevin Walker speaking. As of now, your ship is under the control of the Three Ships Alliance; I strongly urge that you do not resist. If you remain calm and cooperate with my people, you will not be harmed. In fact, those of you who wish to leave the ship will be permitted the use of unarmed shuttles, sufficient to take you to Earth Alliance territory."

He paused. "However, I'd like you to hear me out first. Your superiors have been lying to you, and I think you should know the truth." Considering his words carefully, Kevin abandoned the prepared speech he'd memorized. "I introduced myself as Kevin Walker," he began. "But some of you may know me by what passes for my real name. I was born Kevin Onishi, son" he saw no reason to give the full story here "of Baron John Tyler Onishi, of Orb. Now, you've been told by your superiors that Orb supported the PLANTs, and even aided them in the attacks on Alaska and Panama. Before I tell you the true story behind it, though, let me tell you why you should believe what I'm saying. See, there's a reason I disappeared over three years ago, after my parents were assassinated. I was kidnapped by ZAFT, tortured, and memory-wiped; then augmented into a super-soldier by a madman known as Oracle. That's right; I'm the guy they called Hydra, and even Cain. But I was brainwashed. I did not serve ZAFT willingly, though it took me six months to regain my senses. When I finally did, I destroyed the lab and everything in it, including my fellow Destroyers." While the information was not well-known, Kevin assumed the crew would have been briefed, following Mendel; he was correct.

Hepaused for breath. "So maybe you'll believe me when I say that if Orb had been supporting the PLANTs, I would _never_ have stayed behind to defend it. There is nothing in this world I hate more than ZAFT, and only one thing that I hate as much." He glanced around at the Bridge crew (or what was left of it), then continued. "So maybe you'll believe me when I tell you the true story of Alaska, and how Headquarters _knew_ we were being sent to the slaughterhouse... and it was not ZAFT that nearly incinerated the _Archangel_ and us with it. No, the reason all were lost at Alaska was because Headquarters had deployed a Cyclops system there. And unlike Endymion Crater, this was _not_ a weapon of last resort. Indeed, intelligence was leaked to ZAFT in order to get them to attack... and when they were too far in to escape, Headquarters activated the Cyclops, destroying eighty percent of ZAFT's fighting strength and a goodly number of their own people." Snake's gaze challenged all who were in range of its icy glare. "So tell me, soldiers. Would you truly wish to continue to serve people like that, who would sacrifice their own in such a cold-blooded manner, then blame it on a neutral nation as justification for going to war in order to seize their superior technology, and just as importantly, their mass driver? Do you want to serve those who fight Coordinators simply because of envy and bigotry? If that's your choice, then you're free to leave... but if you believe what I'm saying, I urge you to join us, to help us stop this war before it results in the destruction of both sides." He signed off.

Natarle was looking at him. "That's how it was?" she said softly. The question was perfunctory, though; she knew the Snake to be an honest man. "I... I had no idea. I knew about Alaska, but the rest..." _Those _bastards!_ How _could_ they?_

"Now you understand why we broke away from the Earth Forces," Kevin told her. "Why we fought as we did. Why we will continue to fight, even if the odds are against us."

With the Bridge crew watching her closely, the _Dominion_'s -former?- captain carefully considered what she'd just heard. "All right, Snake," she said finally. "If you're accepting volunteers, you've got one. I just hope you people know what you're doing."

Most of the crew looked relieved, but the helmsman's face turned red with anger. "Traitor!" He lunged from his seat, raising a sidearm of his own...

And the point of a sword appeared through his chest, as the officer who had arrived on the Bridge during Snake's speech thrust her weapon into his back. "I won't allow it," the brown-haired woman said quietly. She withdrew the rapier, wiped it on the dead man's uniform, and put it away.

Natarle, startled, nodded at the newcomer. "Thank you, Lieutenant. That was well-timed." She turned to Kevin. "Snake, this is Lieutenant (Senior Grade)-"

"Meryl Steiglitz," he said in surprise. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Good to see you, too, Baron," Steiglitz said with a smile.

Her captain glanced from one fencer to the other. "Do you two know each other?"

"You could say that," Kevin replied. "During her Academy days, the Lieutenant here was an Olympic-class fencer; and she was also my last opponent prior to my parents' assassination."

"Not as good as you, Baron," Steiglitz said demurely. "As I recall, you took me out pretty fast."

"That's because of certain genetic advantages," he told her. "And don't call me Baron, okay? I'm Baron Onishi's legal heir, but quite frankly I'm not very fond of my uncle's memory these days."

Natarle blinked. "Your uncle?" _Am I missing something here?_

Snake looked thoroughly disgusted. "My biological parents were actually Siegel Clyne and his wife, Natarle; my uncle, it seems, was a believer in the teachings of Nietzsche. Apparently, using genetic samples obtained who-knows-how, he decided to create the Overman: me. It's a long story, but suffice it to say, I hope John Tyler Onishi rots for eternity."

Behind them, the Bridge elevator slid open again. "Say, Boss," Invictus said, floating out, "don't you think it's about time you called the _Archangel_ and told them the mission was a success?"

Natarle and Steiglitz looked from one Kevin Walker to the other. "Uh... Are we missing something here?" Steiglitz questioned.

Kevin shrugged. "Oh, sorry. Natarle Badgiruel, Meryl Steiglitz, this is John Tyler, also known as Invictus. As you can tell from his remarkable good looks, he and I have a genetic connection; in point of fact, he's one of many clones ZAFT made of me. But unlike a certain fellow who's out to kill me, John's on _our_ side."

"Uh... right..." Natarle shook her head. "Anyway, he has a point; I'd appreciate it if you informed your comrades that they don't have to shoot at us anymore."

"Right you are, Natarle." He moved over to the command chair and fiddled with the radio settings. "By the way, John, how many left the ship?"

"About a dozen," his clone informed him. "Not bad, considering; if I had to guess, they were mostly Azrael's people."

"Figures." Kevin pushed a final button. "_Archangel_, this is the _Dominion_, do you copy? This is Snake."

Murrue's face appeared on the main screen. _"I was beginning to worry, Snake. The ship is secure?"_

"Affirmative. Three casualties, all of them Earth Forces; and Azrael and his people got away." He shrugged. "But the ship is under our control. Natarle has agreed to join us, and so have most of her crew. Clean sweep, mon Capitan."

She nodded. _"And Flay? Is she all right?"_

"Haven't had time to check," Kevin admitted.

"She's fine, Captain," Natarle said, stepping forward. "A little shaken up, but she's okay." She glanced at Snake. "By the way, Snake, was that really Kira Yamato out there? I thought..."

_"Reports of his death were greatly exaggerated,"_ Murrue said dryly._ "The pilot who tried to kill him is with us these days, too; so is Dearka Elsman, the Buster's pilot. I'm sure you remember him."_

"If only because Flay tried to assassinate him," Natarle agreed. "I guess things have changed since we last met. So, is the _Archangel_ going to rendezvous with us, or do we go to you?"

_"You'd better come to us,"_ Murrue said after a moment's reflection._ "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but some of our people may not be so trusting."_

"Understood," Kevin broke in. "We're on our way; we'll discuss final arrangements once we rendezvous. _Dominion_, clear." He cut the connection, and glanced around the Bridge. "Speaking of rendezvous, we seem to have a small problem; the helmsman is a corpse."

"I'll handle it, sir," Steiglitz said. "I'm second-shift helmsman; I was just coming on duty when you launched your attack."

"Right." Snake looked briefly at the command chair, then shook his head and settled into Azrael's former seat. "Okay, Lieutenant, let's get moving."

* * *

An hour later, the _Dominion_ had settled into formation with the other three ships, and the _Archangel_'s command shuttle was settling down on her hanger deck. 

The hatch opened, and Murrue stepped out, followed by Andrew Waltfeld and a heavily-bandaged Mu. "Permission to come aboard?" she said formally.

"Permission granted, Captain Ramius," Natarle answered, equally formal. "It's good to see you again, Ma'am. And someplace other than the battlefield, no less."

"True, though I gather it _was_ a battlefield not too long ago." Murrue looked around the hanger, twin to the _Archangel_'s. It contained only a few of the ship's current crew: Natarle, Steiglitz, Invictus, DaCosta, Snake... and Flay, who had been very pleased to see the super-soldier, much to his surprise. It seemed she'd forgiven him for his threat since the last time they had spoken.

She now wore a proper Earth Forces uniform, rather than the volunteer outfit she had worn before or the ZAFT uniform she'd been wearing when she came aboard. "Captain Ramius," Flay said, managing a salute.

"I'm glad to see you're alright," Murrue said warmly. "We weren't sure if you'd gotten clear of the Alaska base before it was destroyed; we certainly didn't expect you to turn up all the way out here."

"Commander Le Creuset captured me, at JOSHUA," Flay explained. "And..."

"Things happened," Natarle finished. "It's a long story, Captain Ramius; an ugly one. Before we go into it, however, I suggest we go to my office and determine exactly what the _Dominion_'s status is."

"Of course. We have much to discuss."

* * *

"... and that's how it is, Captain," Natarle finished some time later. "Director Azrael apparently examined the information on Flay's disc, and then, if the speed of his departure is any indication, got ready to leave even before Snake's assault." 

"So that data was given to you by Le Creuset himself?" Mu asked, directing the question at Flay.

She nodded nervously. "He said it was the key that would end the war, if it reached Earth Forces hands; but he didn't say what it was."

"Azrael took the disc with him," Kevin put in, "but there should be a record of it in the ship's mainframe. I haven't had time to decrypt it yet, but it'll be there." He looked at the Hawk. "So what do you think, Mu?"

Mu's eyes narrowed, and a slight smile played at his lips. "I think this ship needs a captain."

That puzzled the Snake. "Um, excuse me, but doesn't it _already_ have a captain?" He nodded at Natarle. "After all, she _is_ on our side these days..."

Surprisingly, she shook her head. "No, Snake. Even if the rank-and-file of this 'Three Ships Alliance' were willing to trust me that far, I wouldn't resume command. After you took the ship so easily, I have no business retaining the captain's chair." Natarle held up a hand. "And yes, I know there wasn't really anything I could have done to stop you. But there _should_ have been."

Kevin shrugged. "Well, if that's how you see it... But that still leaves the problem of who to replace you with. I'd say Martin DaCosta, but he's a ground-pounder. So who does that leave us with?"

"Well, there _is_ one person..." Murrue said with a smile... and all eyes turned to Snake.

He stiffened. "Now, wait just a minute, Murrue! I'm a pilot and an assassin, not a ship-commander! I don't have any experience..."

"Sure you do," Waltfeld contradicted. "You led the Destroyers, way back when. I hear you were also a hot hand in the _Archangel_'s CIC at Alaska. On top of that, you know more about this class of ship than anybody, _and_ you're a famous fencer the crew respects. Put it together..."

"No way," Kevin protested. "CIC, sure. But the captain's chair? You've got to be crazy."

"They're right, Snake," Natarle said. "Next to me, you're the one the crew is most likely to trust, and you have the knowledge and experience for the job, whether you want to admit it or not."

"But..."

"Oh, take the job already," Mu said. "You know we're going to keep at it until we wear you down; why not save yourself some trouble and accept it?"

Snake gritted his teeth and looked away. _They're all out of their minds,_ he thought. But slowly he began to chuckle. "Okay," he said finally. "If you guys are crazy enough to insist, I guess I've got no choice. I'll do it."

Natarle immediately held out a hand. "Welcome to the hot seat, Captain Walker. And let me be the first to say that I do not envy you in the slightest."

"Just between the two of us," he said wearily, "I don't envy me, either." Noting the expectant looks he was getting, Kevin sighed and settled into the chair behind the office's desk. "But I'll do my best."

With that matter settled, the meeting settled into organizational issues. "So what's the _Dominion_'s current status?" Murrue asked. "Or have you had time to find out?"

"Natarle and I went over it en route to the rendezvous," Snake answered, "so yeah, I'm on the ball. _Dominion_ is in good shape, integrity-wise; _Archangel_ didn't get in very many good hits." He shrugged. "Either our gunners need work or Natarle is as good as ever. Internally," he continued, "we need to patch up a few bullet holes from the assault, space the bodies from the idiots on the Bridge, and repair a couple of plasma-scored bulkheads; on the way up I kind of had to fry my way through some locked doors."

"Explains the stench," Waltfeld commented. "Which reminds me: will you being needing DaCosta's people anymore, or do you have enough crew to manage without them?"

"We operated _Archangel_ with fewer," Kevin pointed out. "So go ahead and take them with you when you return to _Eternal_. I think I impressed the crew with my... sincerity -or at least my lethality- and my helmsman is an old fencing buddy, so we shouldn't have any mutiny problems. As near as we can tell, anyone inclined toward that left with Azrael and his three goons."

"Speaking of Azrael's machines," Mu cut in, "how's your mobile suit complement? I imagine the _Kusanagi_ could spare a few M1s, if you need them."

Kevin shook his head. "No need, Mu. We've got my Stormhawk, and there'stwo third's of asquadron's worth of Strike Daggers still aboard." Kevin Walker had once flown conventional fighter craft, and still tended to use the terminology. "All we really need is a flight leader."

Murrue glanced at her watch. "Oh, I think we can solve that, Kevin. Miss Cagalli should be here any minute now, with her machine."

His eyebrows went up. "Cagalli's flying now? Things sure have changed in the few hours since I left. An M1?" He didn't wait for a reply, instead activating the desk terminal and calling up data from the CIC's mobile weapons' control station.

The sight that greeted him was somewhat startling. "That machine..." It had a solid-red torso, with a distinct red tint to the limbs and head... and it happened to look very much like another machine Kevin was familiar with. "That looks like the Strike."

"MBF-02 Strike Rouge," Murrue informed him. "Aside from the custom paint job, it's identical to Mu's machine. I gather your girlfriend got tired of staying behind while everyone else went into battle, and Chief Simmons had this built for her from spare parts." She smiled. "Upon hearing of the success of your mission, she insisted on transferring over to the _Dominion_. Will the arrangement be acceptable?"

The look on Kevin's face was answer enough; so rather than verbalizing it, he punched the intercom. "Bridge, this is the Captain," he said (while they'd been speaking, Natarle had quietly informed the crew of the change in management). "When the Strike Rouge has landed, please inform the pilot that her presence is desired in the captain's office; and, if you would, don't tell her just who the captain _is_, okay?"

_"You got it, Captain,"_ Steiglitz replied, amused._ "Anything else, sir?"_

"Yeah, she's our new wing commander. Captain out." He shook his head in ironic amusement. "Everything is turning upside-down and inside-out. I get sent out here on a rescue mission/ ship-seizure, and end up in command of the target, with her previous captain as my exec; my best friend and I finally get together -and no jokes, Mu," he warned, hand straying toward his pistol. "And now she's a pilot, and my wing commander. I don't think I really want to know what's next."

"Yeah," Mu agreed quietly. "It's been a rough day." He was clearly referring to more than just the disposition of the _Dominion_; though it was hard to remember, the events at the GARM facility had been mere hours earlier.

Minutes later, the office's hatch slid open, and Cagalli pulled herself in. "So here's where you are," she said upon catching sight of Kevin; she immediately moved to his side. "Where have you been?"

"Busy," he said simply. With a sheepish smile, he added, "Busy getting appointed Captain of this ship, in fact. They insisted."

At her expression, Mu burst out laughing. "Yeah, Cagalli, your boyfriend who hates to lead has gone and got himself stuck in charge of the second ship of the most powerful warship class mankind has ever made."

"And you're wing commander, if you don't mind," Snake added, idly tucking an arm around her.

Cagalli hugged him. "You think I'd turn down that down, when _you're_ in charge? I'm not letting you out of my sight, Kevin."

"Ahem," Natarle said carefully. "I believe we have another pressing matter to attend to." She glanced significantly at Flay. "Don't you think it's time we found out just what this 'key' is?"

"Yeah..." Kevin said slowly. "That's a good idea. If it was enough to make Muruta Azrael abandon his attempts to obtain the Freedom and Justice, it can't be good..."

He pulled out his neural interface-adapter, connected it to the desk terminal, and jacked himself in, his eyes taking on the distinctive vacant look of mind-to-machine contact.

"Accessing," Snake murmured, "searching... data located. Beginning file decryption. Data should be appearing... now." He pulled out of the system, blinked, and took a look at the data that had appeared on the monitor. "That's strange. The Freedom and the Justice, and... Solkin syn!"

Kevin actually went pale, and launched into a long stream of invective in a number of languages, the likes of which Murrue had not heard since the super-soldier had learned of William Sutherland's presence at Alaska. This time, though, it wasn't as bad... it was worse.

"What's wrong?" Mu asked five minutes later, when Snake's vocabulary finally ran dry. "What's the 'key'?"

He looked shaken. "Commander Le Creuset was right in calling this the key that would end the war," Kevin explained obliquely, directing his words at Flay. "After all, the war will end when humanity is extinct!"

"What are you talking about, Racher?" Waltfeld demanded.

"That disc," Kevin said grimly, "contained the specifications for the Freedom and Justice. More to the point, it contained the specifications for Neutron-jammer cancellers."

"Nukes," Natarle breathed. "That maniac wants to trigger a nuclear war!"

"And that idiot Azrael didn't think to question why Le Creuset would have given him that information," he concurred. He stood, moving over to the office's viewport. "But it may be worse than that," _Dominion_'s new CO said very, very softly.

"How can it be _worse?"_ Mu demanded. "What's worse than a nuclear holocaust to put the Bloody Valentine to shame?"

Kevin turned back to them, and he looked aged far beyond his years. "You remember how, when I was Hydra, Oracle stuffed a whole bunch of classified ZAFT weapons' designs in my head? Well, there was one more secret project, a genuine superweapon. I never really thought about it after the war began, because of the N-jammers. But with N-jammer canceler technology, they _could_ pull it off, and might just be crazy enough to do it."

"Do what?" Waltfeld frowned. "I had a pretty high security clearance, and I don't have a clue what you're leading up to, Racher."

"Gamma Emission by Nuclear Explosion Stimulus Induction System," the one-time ZAFT soldier said flatly. "The final weapon, GENESIS. The data I have on it is doubtless obsolete, but not all of it." He took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. "GENESIS is an enormous gamma-ray weapon; it uses nuclear explosions to generate huge amounts of gamma rays, which are then reflected back into GENESIS, which then focuses the radiation as a coherent beam." Kevin clenched his fists. "If the Earth Forces use nukes and ZAFT goes through with GENESIS, it'll all be over. Judgment Day. The end of the world."

"But there'd still be the lunar colonies," Cagalli protested. "I mean, if it really came to that, Earth could be repopulated from there..."

"I guess I didn't make myself clear," Kevin said grimly. "There might be the lunar colonies... but there wouldn't be Earth. GENESIS has enough power to scorch the planet into a blasted wasteland with just a couple of shots. It was originally designed as an interstellar propulsion system, but it serves admirably as a weapon, too."

"This is bad..." Mu whispered. He turned to Murrue. "Murrue, I think we need to head for the PLANTs, right away. Before this gets any worse."

"I think you're right," she agreed. "Captain Waltfeld, I think you and I should return to our respective ships and get underway. We haven't a moment to lose."

"No," Snake interrupted. "Not yet." When all eyes turned to him, he went on calmly, "There's some things we need to do first. Face it, after Mendel we're not ready for that kind of assault. We need support; supplies, repairs, that kind of thing. We have the time. Even if Azrael were to reach Earth Alliance territory today, the council will still bicker for at least a couple of days, and it'll take time for them to put the weapons into production. I say we take the time to make sure we're ready; getting there unprepared is worse than not getting there at all."

"You're probably right," Murrue agreed reluctantly. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Yeah." With that one-word answer, Kevin turned to the hatch. "I need to get to the Bridge; there's a transmission I need to make. Look, you guys are in a better position to figure out who we might contact elsewhere; but I know of one person in the PLANTs who, while I may not exactly trust him, I believe will do the right thing if he learns about the nuclear threat."

Though intrigued, she accepted his lack of detailed explanation. "Very well then, Captain Walker" she used the title partly to needle him, but mostly because it somehow seemed _right_ "we'll do our job, you do yours." She exchanged warm glances with Mu. "Mu and I will be returning to the _Archangel_; Captain Waltfeld, I assume you and DaCosta will be returning to the _Eternal_?" The one-eyed Tiger nodded. "And how about you, Flay? Will you be coming back to the _Archangel_, or do you want to stay with the _Dominion_?"

Looking nervous (and with Cagalli in the room, Kevin couldn't blame her; the two had never gotten along), Flay cleared her throat. "I'll stay with the _Dominion_. I... I have a place here."

Snake nodded. "That you do, Flay. I recall you were good with Logistics back on the _Archangel_, and that's always important."

Cagalli frowned. "You're worrying about Logistics at a time like this?"

"They say, tovarisch," he said patiently, "that lieutenants think tactics, colonels think strategy, and generals think Logistics. You can't fight a war without supplies."

"Right," Flay agreed brightly; she wasn't sure she recognized the quote, but she couldn't remember a time when Kevin Walker had been truly _wrong_. "Um..." she added uncertainly, "...could you tell Kira I'd... I'd like to talk to him? When he's feeling better? There's... something I should tell him."

Kevin, who had a good idea what she was talking about, looked thoughtful; Waltfeld, who hadn't a clue, simply shrugged. "Sure, I'll let him know when I get back." He glanced at his watch. "Speaking of getting back, I think we should be about our business."

* * *

Half an hour later, Kevin stepped onto the Bridge once again, Natarle, Cagalli, and his clone in tow. Natarle headed down into CIC, and Invictus took the vacant fire-control station, but Kevin and Cagalli moved to the front of the Bridge. 

It was something he'd done uncounted times on the _Archangel_, but this time was different; for this time, Kevin Walker was taking the center seat, as the ship's commanding officer. It was... a sobering, and strange, experience, yet one that was somewhat pleasant. He realized that, however much he might have denied it, he'd actually missed being a leader. And this time, it was for a cause he believed in.

Cagalli smiled at him, sensing his thoughts, and settled into Azrael's former chair; at the same time, Steiglitz glanced back. "Where to, Captain?"

Kevin thought for a moment. "Put us on a rough orbital path toward the PLANTs," he ordered. "We'll probably be heading that way before too long, so proceed at half thrust."

"Roger that." She bent to the task, apparently well-pleased with her new captain.

"Communications," he began, "begin recording a video message."

"Yes, sir." The comm officer typed a few commands into his console. "You're on, Captain."

Kevin looked straight into the main screen, which was now recording his image. "This is the Captain of the Three Ships Alliance Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_, and this message is for Yzak Joule..."

* * *

Yzak Joule, recently returned to the PLANTs following the failed attempt to neutralize Lacus Clyne and her followers at Mendel, was working on his GAT-X102 Duel. Currently, it was housed on the asteroid fortress Jachin Due, pending the assembly of the Joule team; in the wake of that battle, he had been promoted and reassigned to command his own unit. 

That still left the basic maintenance of hiss machine to Yzak, though; the only mechanics sufficiently familiar with the former Earth Forces mobile suit had died with the _Vesalius_... and Captain Fredrik Ades.

So that was exactly what he was doing when the Duel's computer suddenly noted an incoming transmission, addressed to the Duel itself. "What the...?"

Yzak noticed with a frown that the signal had somehow bypassed the entire Jachin communications net, apparently without even being noticed. Puzzled, he punched the message up on his screen, and a familiar face appeared.

The young man with sandy hair and unnaturally bright jade eyes wore black civilian clothing, not a uniform; though he oddly seemed to be wearing Earth Forces captain's insignia on his collar. "This is the Captain of the Three Ships Alliance Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_," he began, "and this message is for Yzak Joule. We've never met face-to-face, but we've spoken numerous times during battle, and I think you saw me at the Mendel Colony, during one of my confrontations with the sociopathic clone Jack Carter. My name is Kevin Walker... or Kevin Onishi, if you want to be technical; frankly, I don't, since it turns out Onishi was my uncle and a thoroughly mad scientist besides, but that's off-topic. To be blunt, I'm not sending you this message because I have any real interest in your safety. Rather, my sympathies, such as they are, have always lain more with the PLANTs, whatever my problems with ZAFT may be, and to be perfectly -and grudgingly- honest, you're the only man in ZAFT I can remotely think of as honorable and trustworthy."

"Okay, Walker, so you hate my guts but respect my integrity," Yzak muttered. "So how about you get to the point?"

Walker did, as if hearing the pilot's response. "I trust you remember the conversation I had with Commander Le Creuset, the one I had Dearka relay to you. You saw how crazy the man is these days, so maybe you'll believe me when I tell you what he's gone and done now. Remember that lifepod he set adrift during the battle, the one with my old shipmate Flay Allster in it? She was carrying what Le Creuset described as 'the key that will end the war'. Upon my recent assault on and capture of the _Dominion_ -never mind the details now; suffice it to say the ship is under my command these days- I hacked into the ship's mainframe and discovered exactly what kind of data he passed on to Director Muruta Azrael: the schematics for the Neutron-jammer canceler. This wouldn't have mattered, given my seizure of Azrael's ship, were it not for the fact that he escaped during the fighting. Since he's now at large, I somehow think I don't need to explain to you exactly what the Earth Alliance is likely to start building again soon."

Yzak swallowed; he knew _exactly_ what Walker was talking about. "Nukes," he whispered harshly.

Once again, it was like the _Dominion_'s Captain could see him, as he nodded. "Yeah. Nuclear weapons, the same sort that destroyed Junius Seven -frightful incident, by the way; I was nearly killed there myself- and the weapon Operation Uroboros and the April Fool Crisis were launched to stop. This is something that we, the Three Ships Alliance, don't want anymore than you do, which is part of the reason I'm telling you this. The other part, though, is the fact that you should be aware of how much of a danger Rau Le Creuset has become, to _both_ sides, since he's the man who gave back the Earth Alliance's nuclear capability. I suggest you think about it, Yzak: do you really trust someone who's supposed to be on your side, but gave the enemy the most powerful weapons yet constructed by man? And take it one step further: if Earth uses nukes, what weapon do you think Chairman Zala will retaliate with?" He shrugged. "Think about it, Yzak, and don't let blind loyalty get in the way of your thinking. That's all I've got to say; Walker, clear."

The super-soldier's image vanished, and Yzak slumped back in his seat. "Nuclear weapons..." he whispered. "GENESIS... The Bloody Valentine all over again... What in the world am I supposed to do?"

* * *

The next month was dreadfully busy for all members of the Three Ships Alliance (a name no longer truly accurate, with the addition of the _Dominion_); especially for Kevin Walker and his people. Organizational details took endless amounts of paperwork, so it was with great relief that he received a visitor one afternoon, a week after coming aboard. 

"Captain Ramius to see you, Boss," Meryl Steiglitz called from her post outside his office hatch (for some unfathomable reason, she had taken it upon herself to act as door sentry during some of her off-hours, thus vetting her captain's visitors; he was usually so wrapped up in his work that he didn't even notice).

Kevin looked up from his desk. "By all means, Lieutenant, let her in."

The hatch slid open, admitting Murrue. "As busy as always, I see," she said with a smile.

He groaned. "Tell me about it; and Cagalli is still busy working out her flight group. Still, they tell me it'll get easier once the ship's properly integrated into the group." He stood, and waved at a chair in the corner of the room (it, like the one he chose, was somewhat more comfortable than standard; he suspected that, since Azrael had used the office previously, the man had insisted on special privileges). "Please, sit," he said, smiling warmly. "So, what brings you here, Murrue? Not that I'm complaining, of course."

She settled into the chair. "Well," she replied, returning the smile, "I somehow thought you might like a little break from the paperwork; and besides, we haven't really had a chance to talk since the day we reached the Red Sea, months ago."

"That's true," Kevin acknowledged. "Things were a little hectic for awhile, weren't they?"

"They were." Murrue leaned back, examining the office's decor. "Well, it looks like Azrael has a taste for the finer things in life."

He glanced around, noting the various places on the bulkheads where objects had once hung. "Yeah, the guy likes to think of himself as a sophisticate; personally, I think he's just vermin, not even fit to be called human. But I digress. I had them pull out what decorations there were; I didn't want any trace of _him_ lingering. That rapier, though," he added, nodding at a slender, ornate blade above the desk, "that stays; it's the blade I had with me in the PLANTs, over three years ago. After my disappearance, it somehow wound up on the auction circuit, where Lieutenant Steiglitz picked it up; she returned it to me yesterday." He looked back at Murrue. "So, how's Mu?"

"Still recovering," she answered. "He _is_ a Natural, remember; unlike you, he can't just bounce back after a couple of hours." Her smile took any possible sting out of the words. "But how are _you_ doing?" she said more seriously. "Mu told me what Le Creuset revealed to you, at Mendel. Are you... holding up?"

Kevin shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Can't say I feel _good_ about it, but it could be worse; besides, I can't exactly take revenge for my genesis, now can I? Dad died years ago, and so did Hibiki."

"Must have been quite a shock, though, learning that your cousin is actually your sister," Murrue commented. "I don't know how _I'd_ have taken it."

"It _was_ surprising," he admitted. "Which reminds me, I haven't had a chance to tell her yet." He paused as his right arm gave a spasmodic jerk. "Blast it; bloody thing hasn't been working right since Mendel. Either my plasma fire was a little to close for comfort, or I over-stressed it when I lost my temper."

"I can't imagine what it must be like to have to rely on a mechanical limb," Murrue mused. "Does it bother you much?"

"Not in the sense that it's difficult to use," Kevin answered after a moment. "But it's strong enough to scare me; ruined my favorite gun with it. But I guess I should get used to it; I was already about twenty-five percent mechanical. What's another five percent?"

"Are you really that blasé about it?" she said skeptically. "I seem to remember you _hate_ being a cyborg."

He flinched at the word. "You're right, I do; but I don't see what I can do about it."

"Can't it be removed somehow?"

Kevin shook his head. "Unfortunately, the essential parts of it are fused with my atomic structure; I'd need a body transplant, which unfortunately I don't have available." He grimaced. "And I've no desire to live like George Glenn."

The thought made Murrue a tad queasy, too; their contact with the Junk Guild had brought about some surprising revelations, and the idea of George Glenn's preserved brain being alive and functional, but bodiless...

"I think I might prefer death," she said softly. "Though _he_ doesn't seem too bothered by it."

"Always exploring new frontiers," the super-soldier opined. "Probably just thinks of it as a new experience to, well... experience."

Murrue tilted her head. "I remember Cagalli once mentioning you like to speak in riddles, but I hadn't seen much sign of it myself. A trace of your original identity?"

"Somewhat," Kevin admitted. "A link to happier times, before I truly became Kevin _Walker_."

"Too bad I didn't meet you back then," she mused. "I'm sure we'd have gotten along famously."

He twitched his shoulders. "You could ask Mu; _he_ should know a thing or two about how I was then, as opposed to how I am now."

"I did," Murrue informed him. "But Mu only met Kevin Onishi once, remember," she pointed out; he noticed she spoke of his former name as if he was someone else.

_Which he was,_ he told himself._ That name no longer has any meaning._ "Well," Kevin said aloud, "I don't know that there's much to tell, really. Onishi ceased to exist at fourteen; not much time to establish an identity."

"For Naturals, maybe; but you yourself have said you matured faster than even normal Coordinators. Besides, if you could establish your new identity in less than three years, surely there was _something_ to your old self," she pressed.

"Well... maybe a little," he granted. "But he wasn't much compared to me; though I imagine Cagalli would say otherwise."

"Perhaps," Murrue agreed. "On the other hand, she seems quite pleased with how you turned out; and you're dodging the question," she noted, smiling.

"I wasn't aware it was one," Kevin shot back. "Sounded more like a statement to me."

"Well, it wasn't," she said, and then stopped, realizing just how they sounded.

He apparently recognized the same thing. They stared at each other for a few moments, then burst out laughing.

"You know," Murrue commented a minute later, when she regained control of her vocal apparatus, "I sometimes think _we're_ more like brother and sister than Kira and Cagalli are."

"Yeah, I can see that," Kevin agreed, bringing himself under control with his augmentation. "Who knows, we may even be related," he said jokingly. "Even with the revelations about my parentage, with the Clynes instead of the Onishi family, my genealogy is pretty complicated... Sis." He grinned.

She found herself smiling back. _It's times like these when you can catch a glimpse of what he once must have been like... Makes me glad we didn't end up shooting each other, back on Heliopolis... how long ago now? Six months? Feels like years... It's who he is, I guess..._ "I'm sure it is... Brother," she said finally, feeling oddly cheerful. "Even if we're not though, it looks like we might as well be... I suppose Fate brought about our meeting?" she added, recalling his firm belief in Fate.

"Could be," he agreed. "I suppose the ancient Greeks would say Clotho -the Fate, that is, not the pilot- has spun our lives together, while Lachesis the Allotter has granted us time to understand, before Atropos the Inflexible cuts our threads."

Murrue raised an eyebrow. "And what would _you_ say, Brother?"

"Me? I never say anything at all, of course." Kevin sobered then, considering the question in a more serious manner. "I suppose I would say," he said finally, "that I believe there are certain people who are meant to be together, be they as friends, or lovers... or family; and that nothing can keep them apart before their Fated meeting."

"Even Death?" she said softly.

"Even Death," he agreed, just as quietly. "There are some things stronger than Death, even..." Kevin closed his eyes, recalling something he'd heard long ago. "They say... that our bonds are the only things that hold us in this world. Maybe that's true."

"Then let's try not to break this one," Murrue suggested solemnly. "I'd really rather not lose a brother so soon after finding him in the first place."

Kevin considered that, then stood, lifted the rapier from its mounting, and drew the ornate blade. "A fitting blade for an oath," he murmured. He was quite serious. _Cagalli always called me a knight in shining armor... So did Sai, now that I think about it... I don't agree; I like to see myself as a protector -sometimes- but my armor is tarnished._

But my honor, my word, is never doubted.

Murrue watched curiously as Kevin walked over to her, knelt, head bowed, and laid the slender sword at her feet. She'd heard of his differing personas, had even seen him switch between several of them in her presence, but she'd never encountered this one. _This is the Kevin Walker who helped Kira spirit Lacus away from the _Archangel, she realized. _The Kevin Walker who swore on his very life to protect Cagalli..._

This is the Fencing Prince.

Still kneeling, Kevin began to speak in a solemn voice. "I swear to you, Murrue, that I will not needlessly spend my life; that if there is any chance of victory _and_ survival, I shall take it; and that from this day, you will be like my own blood, as much kin as my blood sister."

Murrue blinked, then understood he was expecting her to say something. "I accept your oath, Kevin."

With a nod, Kevin stood, and sheathed the weapon. "Thank you."

"You're very old-fashioned in some ways, you know that?" she told him.

"Oh yes, quite," he admitted cheerfully. "As for that little ritual, blame it on my upbringing; nobility will always retain some of the old trappings and ceremonies. That last part I've sworn to exactly two other people."

"Kira and Athrun?" Murrue guessed.

He nodded. "Yes." He turned, set the rapier back on its mountings, and sat again. "I meant it, you know," he said softly.

"I know you did." Murrue smiled. "And I can certainly think of worse people to have as a... what's the old term... oath-brother?"

"That's it," Kevin confirmed. "A long time ago, I considered traditions like that a waste of time; mere meaningless babble. I've since changed my mind."

"So I see," she said dryly. "Now, how about you actually answer my question now, Brother?"

"Question?" He looked blank for an instant. "Oh, that. Of course, dear Sister," he said with a smile. "I suppose the story of my life would really begin when I was six, just beginning to attend a prep school in Copernicus..."

* * *

Having been reminded of certain things, it took only another day for Kevin to fit another appointment into his schedule (which was, finally, beginning to ease up). 

Once again, Meryl Steiglitz was at the door. "Miss Clyne's here, Boss."

"Let her in, Lieutenant." Kevin felt more than a little awkward; this was not a situation he was accustomed to, and he had to do it himself. Cagalli had insisted that the two be alone for this, and was herself on the Bridge, studying tactics with Natarle. _So it's up to me to tell Lacus the truth... alone._

The hatch slid open, admitting the "Pink Princess". "Hello, Kevin," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hi, Lacus," Kevin replied. "I'm glad you could make it."

She smiled. "As if I had something more pressing? Besides, Kira said you had something important to tell me." Lacus studied his face. "You look troubled, Kevin. What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath. "Lacus, I... have a lot of things to tell you. Things I learned at Mendel. I should have told you then, but I haven't really had time before now." He visibly hesitated. "Lacus, I'm... not your cousin."

Lacus frowned, confused. "What? What are you talking about, Kevin?"

Kevin ran a hand through his sandy hair; his right eye had just confirmed Le Creuset's words. "It seems that, all my life, I was lied to," he said, buying himself a little time. "Michael Carnehan was my clone, not my brother... and Baron Onishi was my uncle, not my father."

She gasped. "What? But... how...? Are you sure?"

"Quite sure," he replied heavily. "Le Creuset told me on Mendel, and everything I've learned since has confirmed it." He proceeded to tell her what Le Creuset had told him, leaving out only his true parentage.

When he'd finished, Lacus looked at him with wide eyes. "But Kevin, that's... that's horrible! How could anyone _do_ something like that...?"

"I don't know," Kevin said. "I may never know... and it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Perhaps not," she said slowly. _After all, the man _is_ long gone..._ "But then whose genes were used to create you?" she asked abruptly. "Who were your _real_ parents?"

"The same as yours," he said simply.

Silence.

"I... see..." Lacus said at last. Then she smiled. "Well, whoever your parents were, you are still _you,_ Kevin," she said reassuringly. "Whether we are cousins or siblings, you still have an identity. Perhaps Kevin Onishi does not and never did exist... but Kevin Walker _does._ You are who you chose to be, Kevin."

"Not entirely," Kevin disagreed. "They say that people make their own choices to get where they are, but sometimes, you don't really _have_ a choice. I did not choose to become a cybernetic organism, for example..." He paused. "But you're right. I am who I am, and nothing's going to change that."

"Exactly," she agreed, satisfied. _Wow; I don't think anyone's ever been able to convince him of that so fast..._ "Now," she went on, "why don't you tell me about this new ship of yours...?"

* * *

A month after receiving Walker's message, Yzak Joule paced Jachin Due's corridors, brooding. Over the past weeks, he'd reviewed Kevin Walker's message dozens, hundreds of times, and he was nearly at a decision. It wouldn't be easy, but he was beginning to think there was no other option. 

_At least I've got my own team these days,_ he thought moodily._ Commander Le Creuset would notice something was wrong if I was still with him. Walker sure was right about how crazy he's gotten._

At last, Yzak stopped his aimless wandering and turned toward the hanger where the Duel now slept, unused for a longer period than ever before. What he was about to do would be at best difficult, at worst suicidal, and, at least in the eyes of his comrades, certainly treasonous. But Kevin Walker was right: he couldn't let loyalty blind him -or more precisely, he couldn't let loyalty to his superiors blind him to what loyalty to the _PLANTs_ demanded of him.

He strode into the hanger a few minutes later, dressed in his flight suit and carrying a travel case; where he was going he could expect to be awhile.

"Commander Joule!" a mechanic greeted him. "Going somewhere?"

"I'm taking some leave time," Yzak lied smoothly. "Thought I should get some R&R while I still can; won't have much chance to rest once the fighting starts again."

"That's true," the tech agreed. "You're taking the Duel?"

"Right; we don't know when the next attack will come, so it's best if I can get to my machine fast, wherever I am. So, is it ready?"

"Been ready," the man replied. "Repairs were completed weeks ago."

"Good." Yzak nodded at the mechanic, pushed off for the Duel's cockpit, and took a deep breath. _Here goes. I hope Walker's as honest as they say, or else I'm a goner._

He quickly sealed himself in, tucked his luggage out of the way, and powered up the machine's generator. As promised, it was in good shape, and within minutes Yzak was guiding his mobile suit out into the void where, miraculously, no one thought to question his departure... not even when he set course well _away_ from the PLANTs. The Duel could make the journey he had in mind, if he accelerated for an hour or so and then cut power; it would take a few days, but this way, he'd at least have enough energy to slow down at the other end... not to mention have enough life support to get there.

_I'm sorry, Mother,_ Yzak thought, sparing a moment's attention for Ezalia Joule, his Supreme Council-member parent._ But I won't sit by while the Naturals wipe us out with nukes and we destroy Earth with GENESIS. I can't._

More alone than he had ever been, Yzak Joule began his journey across the black of space, to an uncertain welcome.

* * *

By this time, things on the _Dominion_ had settled into a comfortable, if bizarre, routine. The Bridge, once a solid compartment of Earth Forces uniforms, now had a teenage girl in Morgenroete uniform in the chair once occupied by Muruta Azrael, a young man wearing battle armor adjusted to look like a ZAFT Top Gun uniform manning fire-control, and a nearly-identical youth in civilian clothing in the Captain's chair. And on this particular day, there were two visitors present, one in ZAFT red and the other in Earth Forces volunteer blue. 

"I still say this is crazy," Kevin muttered in the center seat. "I'm a pilot, not a sailor."

"And how many times have we been over this, Captain?" Natarle said dryly, from CIC. "It couldn't be me, and you have the qualifications for the job. Besides, my helmsman likes you."

"Not to mention your wing commander," Cagalli interjected; by now, it was of course no secret that she and the Captain had a very... close relationship. "Besides, now all you have to do is give the orders. 'Go here, do this, blow up that'."

"I think," the battle-armored Invictus began, more seriously than the others, "that there is rather more to command than that, mate. More complexity, anyway."

"And don't think he's gonna give up flying," Kira put in, near the elevator. "Stormhawk's one of our best weapons, after all." _I don't like to fight, but it's the only way to bring this war to quick end..._

"And," Athrun said softly, standing beside him, "you're still after my father, right?"

Kevin looked back at him, expression grave. "Yes, Athrun, I'm afraid I am. You know what he ordered done to me... but for what it's worth, I'm sorry it came to this."

Athrun shook his head. "Don't be. My father died a long time ago, with my mother. Ever since then, he hasn't been himself." He paused. "Good hunting, Kevin."

Before the surprised Kevin could respond, Flay (who had ended up as communications officer, in the personnel shuffle) broke in. "Captain, there's an incoming heat source; one mobile suit. Identified as X102 Duel." She looked up. "Wasn't that...?"

Kevin nodded. "One of the machines that caused us a lot of grief. What's _he_ doing here?"

"Should we open fire, Captain?" Natarle immediately asked.

He shook his head. "No, Commander, not yet. He's alone, which tells me something is afoot. We'll give him a chance to communicate first."

"Incoming transmission," Flay reported. "Should I...?"

"Yes, put it on." Kevin leaned back as Yzak's face appeared on the monitor. "Well, well. Yzak Joule. What brings _you_ out here? And without even a _Nazca_ to back you up?"

_"I got your message,"_ Yzak said curtly, coming right to the point._ "You're right; I can't just sit by and let things go on like this. So how about letting me come aboard so we can talk?"_

Snake raised an eyebrow. "Of four ships to choose from, why mine?"

_"Because you're a crazy bastard, but an honest one,"_ Yzak said bluntly.

Kevin shrugged. "Very well, you have permission to come aboard. I won't bother sending guards; you know as well as I do I could crush you to dust or burn you to ashes. I'll just send someone to show you to the Bridge."

_"Roger that."_ The Duel's pilot vanished from the screen.

The super-soldier glanced down into CIC. "Was that a complement, you think?" he queried.

Natarle shrugged. "Beats me."

"Coming from Yzak, I'd say so," Athrun said. '"Bastard' is probably the nicest thing he could think of."

"I guess." Kevin turned to his clone. "John, head down to the hanger and escort Mr. Joule here, please; and do try not to cut off his head or anything. I think he'll be more useful alive."

Invictus saluted. "You got it, Boss."

"Why," Kevin asked the air, "does everyone keep calling me Boss?"

* * *

Before long, Yzak Joule arrived on the _Dominion_'s Bridge. He did not at first say a word, instead taking in the tableau within; the first thing his sharp gaze caught was the man in black, identical save for the scar on his face to the armored soldier who had escorted him here. Given Kevin's words regarding Jack Carter, it didn't take Yzak long to figure out Invictus was another clone. 

His eyes quickly came to rest on the two pilots who stood near the elevator. One he recognized instantly; the other he knew could only be the former Strike pilot.

"Hello, Yzak," Athrun said, as casually as he could. "It's... been awhile."

"That's for sure," Yzak acknowledged. "Since you left Carpentaria to join the Special Forces." His eyes narrowed. "But renewing acquaintances isn't exactly why I'm here. Would the real Kevin Walker please step forward?"

Kevin blinked, surprised at hearing such humor from Yzak Joule, of all people. "That's me," he said calmly. "I assume you've got something to say, something you don't want your superiors to know about?"

His surprise grew when Yzak straightened and saluted. "Captain Walker, I request permission to join your ship's company."

Silence.

Then, _"What?"_ Kevin could not believe his ears. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious," Yzak replied, lowering his hand. "If I thought I had a choice, I wouldn't be here; and as it is, I figure there's a good chance I'll get myself killed. But you were right, I can't just stand by and let things go on like this." His expression darkened. "After ABADDON, I assume you know about GENESIS?"

"Yeah."

"Then you should know why I'm here. I don't really like Naturals, but," and he grimaced, as if only reluctantly agreeing with himself, "I don't like the idea of blowing up Earth. And I guess I have to admit not _all_ Naturals are murdering scum." Yzak actually looked a little sheepish, sparing a glance at Flay; the only Natural he knew very well. "So I don't want any part of the upcoming operations. Captain Walker, I'm willing to help you, but remember one thing: my loyalty is still to the PLANTs, even if I have to fight ZAFT to protect them."

Kevin nodded soberly. "I understand, Yzak. Believe it or not, Athrun and Dearka feel the exact same way. If that's your only reservation, welcome aboard." He paused, then smiled slightly. "Though to be perfectly honest, were it not for the fact that my ship can blast you to your constituent atoms if you betray us, I wouldn't be willing to trust you this far this soon."

Yzak actually smiled back. "Captain Walker, neither would I, if I were you." He extended a hand. "Let's see if we can end this without mutual annihilation, shall we?"

"Let's." Kevin glanced down into CIC. "Commander Badgiruel, please log Commander -that's your rank these days, right?- Joule as one of our pilots. Flay, contact the _Archangel_ and tell Murrue -and Dearka- we have a new volunteer. And Cagalli?"

Cagalli's chair turned. "Yeah, Kevin?"

"If you have no objections, we'll reorganize the mobile suit team: put half under your command and the other under Yzak's. Is that acceptable?"

"You're in charge," she replied with a shrug. "But if he gets out of line, I'll kill him."

"What a wonderful, peaceful crew you have, Captain," Yzak said dryly. "So what's your complement of mobile weapons, anyway?"

"Twelve GAT-01 Strike Daggers, like you faced at Panama and Mendel, my MBF-M1000 Stormhawk, and Cagalli's Strike Rouge," Snake answered. "Enough to deal with most threats, especially with your Duel added to the mix." He paused. "By the way, the guy behind you is Kira Yamato, pilot of the Freedom... and former pilot of the Strike."

Yzak slowly turned. He'd already figured that, but the confirmation left him with a small quandary: the Strike's attack months earlier had left him with a nasty wound, now a nasty scar, and he'd once sworn vengeance for it. But now, they were on the same side, and the Freedom would probably be needed in the coming battle. So should he exact vengeance for the injury, or accept that they had more important things to worry about?

What finally decided him was the fact that Andrew Waltfeld had a far more serious grievance with the Strike pilot (he'd lost an arm, eye, and Aisha, in that final battle in the desert) and yet had forgiven him. Yzak couldn't quite forgive, or forget, but he _could_ work with Kira, if he had to.

He finally, grudgingly, smiled. "I can't quite say it's a pleasure to meet you," he told Kira, "but it _is_ a pleasure to have you shooting at someone _else_ for a change!"

"Welcome aboard, Yzak," Kira managed; he had similar reservations, after the destruction of the refugee shuttle during the battle which had resulted in the loss of the Eighth Fleet, but he too recognized there was more at stake here.

Kevin raised an imaginary glass. "To a long, unholy alliance!"

* * *

Author's note: Kevin Walker has captured the Earth Alliance Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion,_ and the war will never be the same… especially with Commander Yzak Joule having joined his motley crew. 

At last, the long-promised major twist; I think I can safely say nobody saw _this_ one coming! I've been looking forward to posting this for months.

RVD, I will say this: of _course_ they'll have a happy ending; I dislike sad endings in the extreme.

Ominae, there was, as I said last chapter, some Kevin/Murrue interaction. I have no idea if it's what you expected, but I hope I at least pulled it off in a satisfactory manner.

Daniel Lynx, here at last is the twist I've been taunting you with since the start; and, obviously part of the reason Mu and Flay survive. The Second Battle of Jachin Due will be far different now…

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I trust this twist _was_ a shocker; for one thing, it is, as far as I can tell, completely unprecedented on It's also something I've been playing _very_ close to my chest, particularly after RVD posted Kevin's true background.

By the way, thanks for the info; even if I could have found a track listing, I doubt I could have read it. I know a little Japanese, but not much, and my knowledge does not extend to the written form. Thanks a lot.

As for who Athrun will be paired with… let's just say I have a few ideas, and leave it at that.

Attempt, thanks for the complement; always nice to hear I'm doing a good job. As to your idea… I'll say it's a possibility for the sequel, and leave it at that. As I said before, Carter's fifteen minutes of fame have not yet arrived.

NukeDawg, go ahead and copy and paste; just remember _not_ to give me credit for the zoanthropes. I tweaked the notion a little, but the idea is not mine (incidentally, if you want more info on the subject I'd suggest you research the Bloody Roar games; they undoubtedly have more background than I've been able to uncover).

Red Eyed Divine Dragoon77415, I'm actually a little surprised to hear my work compared to Peptuck's; I've always considered his stories to be among the very best written on the site, and certainly never thought mine approached his level.

And yes, I _am_ working on the new chapter for the Second Story. As I said -several times- I'm just having a little trouble with it; I should, however, have a little more time to work on it soon, as I expect to have Brothers in Arms fully posted sometime next week.

Shinji Ikari, your theory was a little closer to the mark than I'd expected; still way off, but not as much as I might have expected.

I'd thought it fairly obvious by now that Carnehan was a clone; you'll recall my cryptic way of referring to him in the author's notes a while back. But maybe I'm wrong.

Now, your memory is a little off when it comes to the GINN; it wasn't that Kevin couldn't figure out how to fly it, it was that he couldn't _remember_; a fine distinction, perhaps, but remember that, at the time, he was still partially under the influence of the memory-erasing drugs.

Yes, you're right about Kevin being stronger than Kira even without augmentation; witness some of the stunts he pulls off even before Chapter 3 (you'll recall it wasn't until Artemis that he completely reactivated his cybernetics). So even without the machines online, he's a formidable opponent.

Best reason for Oracle _not_ having gotten his cloning knowledge from Al Da Flaga's operations: I hadn't even heard of the man when I first conceived the Serpent's Head project. In any case, I think Al Da Flaga himself didn't really know how much about cloning; else he'd have done it himself, instead of using Hibiki.

I do not dispute your point that there are _fewer_ wars; however, that is also _beside_ the point. If you look, the actual amount of bloodshed going on at any given time has not really gone down; it simply happens in fewer but larger concentrations.

In any case, I get the feeling we're not going to agree on that topic, and it's really immaterial at the moment, anyway; after all, this is a fanfic, not a talk show.

Now, as for Carter… first of all, he wouldn't _be_ making Destroyers; simply cloning Kevin wouldn't produce soldiers of his caliber. He'd need to augment them to accomplish that, and the technology simply does not exist anymore.

As to the rest of it, well… let's just say that the truth has not yet been revealed. You will notice that nothing of his existence prior to his encounter will Athrun at Carpentaria has been explained; that will change, near the very end. Many questions will be resolved… but not, of course, all of them…

About the glossary, let me first say that "ABADDON" has not been fully explained because it is _not_ an acronym. It's simply the Hebrew word for Destroyer, and it's capitalized because that's how codewords are often done. No mystery there. (Besides, I couldn't think of a plausible meaning for an acronym like that.) And yes, the entry for hyper jammers is coming; probably at the end of the next chapter, since I seem to have completely forgotten about the glossary this chapter. Oh, well, hardly a surprise; I was frightfully busy just getting the chapter itself ready. There were two scenes -one of them very long- that didn't even exist before two nights ago.

Time to get to your various questions and criticisms. First, of course Kevin didn't chase after Le Creuset; vengeance may be one of his main motivations, but the safety of his friends comes first. Period.

Actually, the "ventilate your brainpan" line is all mine; it popped into my head, and seemed to fit (you'll notice a variation of it in Chapter 30, when he's talking to Invictus). Go right ahead and use it.

You were right about Yzak joining up; you were just a chapter early. I decided this one would _completely_ mess with the storyline, and I daresay I succeeded.

Already said the stuff about Carter would be explained later, so I'll skip to the next paragraph.

I'll try to avoid the problem SEED had, when it comes to Kevin and Lacus (the lack of Kira/Cagalli interaction later on irritated me, too); but I should mention things get pretty hectic during the last few episodes.

I see your point about the unclear explanation; I'll see about fixing that soon.

As for the line that causes Kira to go into a near-coma… I confess that I simply forgot about it. That's another thing I'll have to fix (argh!). And I'll be sure to add some of Mu's reaction to the whole thing.

Now, your reference to Le Creuset having moved fast enough to dodge Kevin's bullets is not actually a valid criticism. Think about it: Kevin's obviously _very_ ticked off right then, so the simple explanation is… he missed. Ordinarily his augmentation can manipulate his body in order to correct for such reactions, but in order to use his augmentation like that, he needs to be think straight, and to think straight he needs to… well, you get the idea. A classic Catch-22; what it all boils down to is that anger betrayed his aim, and he missed. Same thing for the plasma shot later on.

Certainly Kevin's smart enough to puzzle out the meaning of Le Creuset's words about "the final door" and "extermination". However, again, he's not thinking straight then; it wouldn't be until reviewing the events later that he can put it together.

The Kevin/Cagalli scene would probably have happened earlier, but at the time I originally wrote it, I was still waiting to see how it went in the series. By this point, though, it occurred to me that if I didn't do it soon, I wouldn't be doing it till the very end.

You're about right as to why Kevin didn't chase after the _Dominion_; besides, as you can see I had a better idea. And Tolle maybe _could_ have taken out Forbidden… but they were already retreating, and you may recall Forbidden has that handy _plasma cannon_, with which he could have blasted Tolle to cinders had he persisted.

You may have a point about Kira's line there; another thing I may just be altering in the near future.

By the way, I might be more inclined to accept your comment about Kira not feeling comfortable calling Kevin "Snake" right then if you'd actually provided a reason. I'm afraid I just don't see what you're getting at. If I did, perhaps I'd give it some credence… though I should point out that by that point it would be on the order of unconscious habit.

And, like I said, I'll just be inserting that line I forgot, so that's not an issue.

Mu's theory regarding Le Creuset is indeed part of the "great cloning explanation" that's coming up; I'll go more in-depth there.

I think that's the important stuff… though before I forget, you managed to refer to Kevin as Lacus' _sister_ at one point. I'm guessing that's a typo (if it isn't, you've _really_ misread the story).

Almost two thousand words of notes; at this rate they'll be a story unto themselves. Let me know what you think, even if it may cause me to be chained eternally to my word processor, writing author's notes… -Solid Shark


	34. Chapter 34: Waking Nightmare

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, his clones, and Max

* * *

In the two months since capturing the _Dominion_, and four weeks since gaining the assistance of Yzak Joule and his Duel Gundam, Kevin Walker had watched the news reports coming in from Earth with increasing unease. The Earth Forces Ayers Rock Landing Operation and Operation 8.8, which had taken the Gibraltar Base and assaulted other bastions of ZAFT influence on the Earth, had concerned him greatly... particularly once ZAFT was forced even out of Carpentaria Base, leaving them with no presence on Earth at all. 

That meant that the Earth Forces could now concentrate on the PLANTs themselves. Once, before the advent of Neutron-jammer cancellers, Kevin would have believed it just short of impossible for the Earth Alliance to force its way past Boaz, let alone Jachin Due; but Rau Le Creuset had gotten the technical schematics of the Freedom and Justice Gundams to Muruta Azrael, thus also giving him the N-jammer canceler data. And since Azrael had escaped the assault on the _Dominion_, nuclear weapons would doubtless soon become a threat once again.

Sitting on his Bridge (and Kevin still felt _weird_ being the captain of a warship), the one some called the Snake pondered the war. He'd been drawn into the conflict between Earth and the PLANTs long before the actual shooting started, with the madman Oracle's Project ABADDON, and he had a somewhat different view of things from his friend -in fact, surrogate brother- Kira Yamato, or, for that matter, his own sister, Lacus Clyne. To be sure, he was in complete agreement with their desire to bring the war to a swift, peaceful conclusion, but Kevin found himself in fundamental disagreement with their methods. He certainly had nothing against keeping enemy casualties to a minimum, of course... but only when doing so did not jeopardize his own people. It was all well and good to show mercy, but Kevin Walker was a firm believer in the Law of the Jungle: kill or be killed. To his way of thinking, the enemy was the enemy; if they did not surrender, you did what you had to do.

Luckily for him, despite their disagreement, neither Kira nor Lacus tried to change Kevin's mind any longer. It would be pointless... and Kira, at least, understood that there was at least one person the super-soldier _had_ to... deal with, if he was to ever put the specter of ABADDON behind him: Patrick Zala. Interestingly, from Kevin's point of view, Athrun raised no objection to the idea, and had even wished him "good hunting". He believed his father had died long before, with his mother, in the Bloody Valentine. Killing Zala now would merely be putting to rest an automaton, no longer fully human.

And, of course, the _Dominion_'s wing commander had no problems at all with her captain's point of view. Cagalli Yula Athha had, after all, known him all his (and her) life... and he just happened to be her boyfriend these days. If it was something that he needed to do, she accepted that; and, if she could, would help him achieve it.

Kevin smiled at the thought, then looked up quickly as Flay Allster, former _Archangel_ crewman and current _Dominion_ communications officer, cleared her throat behind him. "Message coming in, Captain, from one of Reverend Malchio's Junk Guild contacts. It looks like an intelligence report."

"Solkin syn. More bad news, I'm sure." He shrugged. "Put it on my monitor, Flay; might as well see what _else_ can go wrong."

"Yes, sir." Flay tapped a few commands into her station, and the report appeared on the captain's chair's right armrest screen.

Cagalli, sitting in Muruta Azrael's former seat, glanced curiously at Kevin as he scrolled through the data. When he quietly cursed, in English, she raised an eyebrow. "Bad, Kevin?"

He turned. "Yeah, tovarisch. Bad. According to some of the Reverend's sources, the Earth Alliance's Sixth and Seventh Fleets have departed from Ptolemaeus, after receiving a number of supplies from Earth. Which means..."

"Nukes," she finished grimly. "You think they've built enough, in the last two months?"

"Bet on it," Kevin said bleakly. "I'm sure they still had a number of nuclear warheads left over from before the N-jammers were deployed, which means all they likely needed to build was a lot of N-jammer cancellers; and remember, it takes a lot more time to get enough weapons-grade fissionables than it does to build those."

"So I guess it's about time," Cagalli murmured.

He nodded, and touched an intercom button. "Yzak, please come to the Bridge. We have a little situation here." Without waiting for a response, Snake looked over his shoulder at Flay. "Flay, patch me through to the other ships, please."

"Right."

The _Dominion_'s main display was quickly portioned off into three screens, with Kisaka, Waltfeld, and Murrue looking out of them. "You've got the word, I presume?" Kevin said without preamble.

_"Yes,"_ Murrue answered._ "It looks like you were right, Kevin. Azrael is going to use nuclear weapons on the PLANTs."_

_"Which means, of course,"_ Waltfeld said,_ "that ZAFT will probably be bringing GENESIS online soon."_

_"But are you certain of the intel?"_ Kisaka questioned._ "It _has_ been three years since your data was compiled, after all..."_

Kevin shrugged. "Sure as I can be, Captain Kisaka. I know for a fact that GENESIS' design had been finalized, and if they ran according to schedule, construction would have begun shortly before the April Fool Crisis last year. And if GENESIS _is_ complete, I am morally certain Patrick Zala will not hesitate to use it. First on the fleet, then probably Ptolemaeus, and then..."

"Earth," Natarle finished from CIC.

_"But only as a last resort,"_ Lacus broke in from the_ Eternal. "Even Chairman Zala must realize the consequences of destroying Earth. There is a chance the PLANTs could remain self-sufficient enough to continue to sustain the human race, perhaps even for centuries, but eventually they would have to seek out new worlds or die. He can't want that."_

"I agree with your conclusions, but not your reasoning," her brother told her. "Even Zala isn't crazy enough to _want_ to destroy Earth; but he won't hesitate if Azrael is crazy enough to continue fighting after losing Lunar Headquarters. And as for seeking out new worlds, I remind you what GENESIS was _intended_ for."

_"True enough,"_ Murrue agreed._ "In any case, one way or the other, this war will be over soon."_

_"Let's just hope it doesn't cost us Earth _or_ the PLANTs,"_ Waltfeld said quietly._ "Captain Walker"_ Kevin supposed he used the title just to irritate him_ "you're more familiar with the specs for that thing; if worse comes to worst, how do we destroy it?"_

Kevin thought hard. "Assuming the worst case -that they've installed Phase-Shift armor...A concerted attack from the _Archangel_ and _Dominion_ should do it, given an hour or two. Failing that... a three-kiloton nuclear warhead would probably be enough to fatally damage it."

_"Well, we don't have a three-kiloton nuke,"_ Waltfeld murmured grimly,_ "so we'll just have to hope we either have enough time to blast it the old-fashioned way, or take out its control facility."_

Snake forbore to mention the fact that they _did_, in fact, have a three-kiloton nuclear bomb. It was, at that moment, aboard the _Dominion_... sealed inside MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke's fuselage. If worse really _did_ come to worst...

_"Either way,"_ Murrue was saying,_ "we should get underway for the PLANTs immediately."_

_"Agreed,"_ Lacus concurred._ "Let us hope we may still reach it in time."_

"Yeah," Kevin said softly. "All right, then. _Dominion_, clear." With the link closed, he looked forward at his helmsman. "Lieutenant Steiglitz, set our course for least-time orbit to Lagrange point Five, maximum thrust."

"Aye aye," his former fencing rival replied. "Moving out, Captain."

"Here we go," Cagalli whispered.

* * *

_Boaz,_ Lacus thought idly on the_ Eternal_'s Bridge._ Will we get there in time? Or will the Earth Forces really use nuclear weapons again? And is Kevin right, about GENESIS? _She shook her head._ How can people _do_ these things to each other?_

Of course, such thoughts brought to mind Patrick Zala's _first_ true atrocity, before the war even began. Unlike her late father, Lacus had not even been aware of the ABADDON project until Kevin arrived in Aprilius, following the Aegis Incident, in the Marshall Islands. When the horrific details _had_ finally been explained to her, she'd been... well, "horrified" didn't begin to describe it. Bad enough that it had happened at all, but to her favored cousin...?

And then, months later, the full truth of Kevin Walker's origins had been revealed, and after taking command of the _Dominion_, he'd finally taken the time to tell his "cousin" the reality of their connection. Lacus had been astounded by the revelation, and appalled by the cold calculation with which he had been created, but in some way, she was actually pleased by it. One could have worse siblings, for sure.

_Be careful out there, Kevin,_ Lacus thought._ I know you won't be content to lead from the Bridge when the battles begin, so at least try not to get yourself killed, okay?_

"Worried about your brother?" Kira broke into her thoughts. He had arrived on the Bridge sometime during her introspection, and stood beside her chair, a slight smile on his face.

Lacus smiled back. "A little," she admitted. "We're heading for another battle, and Kevin _does_ have a habit of getting right into the line of fire."

He waved a hand. "Don't worry too much, Lacus. Sure, Kevin managed to get shot down a bunch when he was flying a GINN, but Stormhawk is one of the most sophisticated mobile suits out there. He'll be fine."

"I hope you're right." She tilted her head. "No doubt you're worried about your sister, too."

Kira shrugged. "It'll be dangerous," he conceded. "But the Strike Rouge is a lot better than that Skygrasper she flew back on Earth. Besides, Kevin wouldn't let anything happen to her, now would he?"

They exchanged grins. Both of them had seen the relationship between their respective siblings coming long before, as had most other members of the Three -except these days it was Four- Ships Alliance... though some of the mechanics -and not just on the _Archangel_- had been heard to complain that the betting had gone bust a dozen times before they finally got together.

* * *

On the _Archangel_, Dearka Elsman lounged near an intercom panel in the cafeteria, idly munching on his lunch. "I guess the waiting's just about over, huh?" 

"Yeah," the battle computer known as Max agreed; in the months since Dearka had joined forces with them at Orb and Max had been activated, the two had become fast friends. "I really hope Captain Walker's wrong about GENESIS, though. That scares even _me."_

"Yeah, I know." Dearka looked down at the deck. "Unfortunately, Snake's not wrong very often; not with all the data Oracle stuffed in his head. If he says GENESIS exists, then he's probably right, and Chairman Zala, from what Athrun says, really _is_ crazy enough to use it."

"And the thing of it is," she said thoughtfully, "I'm not even sure I can really blame him. Oh, I'm certainly not saying he'd be justified in using that infernal machine on Earth, or even the Moon, but if the Earth Forces are coming in such great numbers, what choice does he have? I think we're all agreed it would be just as bad for the PLANTs to be destroyed as for Earth to get crispy-fried."

He nodded (Max, while she had no face of her own, _could_ use intercom cameras to "see" people). "I know. And I can't really disagree, either; my father is on the Supreme Council, and if the PLANTs get nuked..." He trailed off. "I just don't know what we're gonna do, Max. I remember when the war was nice and clear-cut; all we wanted was for the PLANTs to have the autonomy the sponsor nations denied us. If we could just get them to leave us alone, we'd leave _them_ alone, too. There was no need for all this."

"Blame Muruta Azrael and Rau Le Creuset, though I don't think Azrael will be around much longer," Max said dryly. "Remind me not to tick off Captain Walker; Mir tells me he once took out an entire house just to kill one Blue Cosmos termite and his Destroyer-brother-clone-whatever flunky. And then there's what he did on the way out of Orb. He probably doubled the Earth Forces losses in that one blitzkrieg attack."

"I heard about the one in Banadiya." Dearka chuckled. "Then there's when I first met him. I tried out a phrase in Russian, and he instantly tossed me through a wall. I don't remember what I was _trying_ to say, but it seems I insulted his recently-deceased mother. Ouch."

"And that's why you've been taking Russian lessons recently, right?"

"Right." He smiled, gazing about the compartment. "You know, I'm really glad we never managed to take out this ship. Now that I've gotten to know them, I actually like these misfits."

"You're not the only one," Max said, chuckling. "Cap'n Walker's old fencing buddy tells me your friend Yzak's been seeing a lot of Flay Allster, of all people; guess she got over her Blue Cosmos sympathies."

Dearka blinked. "Yzak Joule and _Flay Allster?"_ He distinctly recalled Flay's... problems with Coordinators. Not long after the Aegis Incident, mere moments after Mir's assassination attempt, Flay had tried to shoot him; only Mir's abrupt change of heart had saved him that day. And Yzak's well-known dislike of Naturals... "The mind boggles," he murmured.

"You got _that_ right," Max agreed fervently.

* * *

Back on the _Dominion_, the assassin called Invictus by some and John Tyler by others floated near a viewport looking out to the stern of the ship (had he but known it, it was a favored haunt of his "brother", as well, when he still resided aboard the _Archangel_). 

In some ways, Invictus had perhaps the most depressing lot of all the Four Ships' people. Alone among them, he was a clone, a mere copy of another, Kevin Walker's shadow. For all the time he had worked for Rau Le Creuset as a special agent, he'd embraced the idea, remaining a shadow warrior, feared by those who knew his name.

But since leaving the masked man's employ, and especially since meeting the original Kevin Walker for the first time, Invictus had felt... unreal, as if he were merely a photograph, a picture of something else. It was an unsettling feeling, one which he was sure Cagalli would berate him for if she knew of it... but he had no intention of mentioning it. Among other things, whatever his memories might contain, he was _not_, in truth, her old friend. They might get along very well, but the fact remained that it was Kevin Walker, not John Tyler, whom she loved.

Invictus had been pleased when the two finally _did_ get together, but it had nonetheless left a hollow feeling in him, as if one more piece of evidence that he was not truly real. _Yet another demonstration that I am not who I am..._

His self-pitying thoughts were interrupted by another's voice. "So _you're_ Le Creuset's personal hatchetman, eh?"

He turned. "Commander Badgiruel. To what do I owe the honor?"

Natarle waved a hand. "Please; we're both off-duty. Call me Natarle." She looked wry. "The Captain does, so you might as well, too."

"Since I'm his copy?" Invictus said, sounding surprisingly bitter. "Just another clone of the Boss?"

She blinked, surprised by his reaction. "No, I didn't mean..."

He shook his head. "Sorry. I've just been indulging in a bad habit." When she raised an eyebrow, he explained, "Self-pity."

Natarle nodded in understanding. "Yeah, Captain Walker used to do that a lot, too; I hear it took being shot in the head by his future girlfriend and getting a talking-to from a blind monk to straighten him out." She drifted over to the viewport. "Anyway, to answer your original question, I happened to be passing by, and it occurred me I don't actually know that much about you." She shrugged. "Besides, I don't have anything better to do."

Invictus chuckled. "I sometimes wonder how much information gets distributed because people get bored. Well, Natarle, there really isn't much to tell about me; up until three and a half years ago, my past -such as it is- was identical to Snake's. I've only even existed since 68, so I haven't had much time to establish my own identity."

"Though you definitely have one," she mused. "The Captain -Snake- doesn't have an Australian accent, and for all his intellectual pursuits, he's not a philosopher."

"Neither am I," he retorted. "I'm an assassin, not a psychobabbler. Philosophy is for people who _aren't_ always on the sharp end of the stick; I figure I can worry about that after this bloody war is over."

"That's not what Snake says." Natarle's eyebrows went up in an expression of polite disbelief. "Snake says you were one of the ones badgering him about Cagalli, and that the only one who was worse was that battle computer, Max."

"Maybe." John shrugged uneasily. "I just said what needed to be said, that's all. At least Snake's got something waiting for him, if he survives this war. Me, I'm not sure if it really matters whether I live or die; I'm betting my skills aren't going to be in high demand when the war is over. Even if they are, Snake will corner the market."

Natarle snorted. "Not likely. Captain Kisaka tells me Orb was about ready to drag him into public service as Director of Central Intelligence when the Earth Forces attacked; if Orb gets liberated when this is over, he might find himself shanghaied into the Chief Representative's office. And besides that, I doubt Cagalli will let him stay in the military. He's had _way_ too many close calls in this war."

He laughed outright. "Kevin Walker, Chief Representative? He'd blow his own brains out before letting them do _that_ to him. DCI, though, that I can see; and Cagalli, being an Athha, could well be the next Chief Representative herself. But can you imagine the outcry from the international community? I mean, anybody with two brain cells to rub together can see where he and Cagalli are going; think how people would react to the idea of the head of state marrying the country's chief spook!"

"Not to mention that they'd need a weapons check at the wedding," Natarle agreed with a laugh. "Snake's a super-soldier, and too many of his friends are steely-eyed killers themselves."

"That's the truth." Invictus glanced at her curiously. "You know, back before we took over the ship, Snake always described you being a real stickler for regs, practically allergic to informality; he used to call you 'Lieutenant Spit and Polish'."

"That doesn't surprise me; I don't think he saw much of me off-duty." She shrugged. "Even _I_ can't stand at attention _all_ the time, you know."

"Yeah, I bet." He gazed out the viewport. "Well, whatever else happens, the first thing I'm going to do after the war is take a vacation; I could really use one."

"That makes two of us," Natarle agreed quietly. "For sure." She stared out into space for a time. "By the way..." she said finally. "There are some things I've been wondering about; like why you're helping us, and why you don't have the aging problems Le Creuset does."

John shrugged. "The answer to your first question should be self-evident, Natarle: unlike all the others, I'm a _direct_ clone of Kevin Walker. That means I have all his memories up the point when he was kidnapped... and I started out with his _original_ ethical system. Though it's been altered over the years, it has, like Kevin's, retained the basics... and remember that _I_ remember his friends. I remember everything... so I couldn't possibly fight against them. Like Kevin, I believe world peace is a fantasy, but, also like Kevin, I believe evil can, and must, be fought." He glanced at her. "So when you think about it, it's not so hard to understand after all."

"I guess you're right," Natarle acknowledged. "I should have realized that myself."

"Ahh, we Kevin Walkers -or is that Kevins Walker?- are always hard to figure out. As to your other question..." he went on, "well, I'll try to put it in layman's terms. Besides, I can't understand the exact science of it, either. Anyway, our best guess is that Le Creuset's genes were deliberately sabotaged by Doctor Hibiki, out of revulsion for what Al Da Flaga was having him do. Perhaps a little hypocritical, given what he later did to Kira, and helped do to Kevin, but every man has his peculiarities. As for me..." He scratched his head. "Carter and I were made differently, as were the other accelerated-growth clones. The other Serpent Heads aged at varying rates -for example, one that I took out in Venice was only alive because of his augmentation- but Carter and I were intended to be a little different. We were created from 'Hydra's' cells, rapidly grown to the original's biological age, and then augmented, all before we were truly 'awake'. Once we were at the appropriate age, our genes were carefully modified again, to cancel out the rapid-aging effect."

Natarle frowned. "That makes sense... but Le Creuset had access to Oracle's technology too, right? Why didn't he use the gene therapy on himself?"

"I'm not sure," John replied. "But I can make a few educated guesses. First, there's the secrecy factor: he wouldn't have wanted anyone else, even Oracle, to learn his secret, so he would have been reluctant to have the treatment used on him; and he could hardly have done it to himself, now could he? Then there's the fact that he's an older-generation clone. While Oracle didn't have the chance to advance the field very far -given the ban on cloning, which he didn't violate until 68- he _did_ take it past the point Le Creuset is at. Carter and I are a later iteration of clones, and the gene therapy was tailored to us. And finally, I think his body was physically too old; unlike us, he was fully mature by the time the techniques were developed, and everything I've learned indicates a fully-mature body won't accept the treatments."

She winced. "No wonder the guy went crazy; knowing there was a way to reverse his condition, but being unable to make use of it..."

"Yeah." John nodded in agreement. "But you know, I just don't want to think about the war just now..."

_No argument there,_ Natarle thought; and they both turned back to stargazing, enjoying the illusion of peace, if only for a little while.

* * *

The four ships, with their varied commanders, moved swiftly across space to Lagrange point 5, hoping to stop the holocaust that was surely coming. Nothing would stand in the way of four of the most powerful ships ever built... even if anything had been inclined to try. 

Kevin wasn't terribly surprised by the lack of traffic. The war was clearly entering its final stage; any remaining fighting would doubtless be done around the PLANTs themselves. And he wasn't very happy about that.

He was even less happy when he received another report -from the news services, this time. "Solkin syn," he whispered, looking back at Flay. "You're sure?"

She nodded unhappily. "Yes, sir. It's all over the news."

"Solkin syn," he said again. "Patch me through to the _Eternal_."

Cagalli turned to him, concerned. "What is it, Kevin?"

"The worst," Snake said grimly, just as the _Eternal_'s Bridge appeared on the main screen. "Hello, Sis. I assume you heard?"

_"Heard what?"_ Kira asked from behind Lacus' chair._ "Is Boaz already under attack? Are we too late?"_

"'Too late' is putting it mildly, tovarisch." His eyes were jade ice as he spoke. "The Earth Forces hit Boaz approximately three hours ago... and destroyed it. They used nuclear weapons."

Kira looked sickened; and so did Athrun, hovering next to him. _"So Azrael went and did it? That bastard!"_

"Couldn't agree more." Kevin sighed. "If we don't get there fast, the war may be over before we can do anything to stop it."

_"But stop what?"_ Waltfeld wondered bleakly._ "The destruction of the PLANTs... or Earth?"_

_"Either way,"_ Lacus said firmly,_ "we have to hurry. We haven't come all this way, fought this hard, lost this much, just to see the tragedy occur before our very eyes."_

"Agreed." Snake looked over at Steiglitz. "Meryl, what's our ETA?"

She tapped a few keys. "About seventy-two hours, Captain. By my calculations, that's about when the Sixth Fleet will be ready for its next attack."

"That's what I thought. Captain Waltfeld, I suggest you begin preparations; we won't have much time once we're in range."

_"I know. Don't worry, Captain Walker, we'll do our part."_ Waltfeld smiled fiercely._ "And I think it's about time we tried out the METEOR Units, don't you?"_ Without waiting for a reply, he signed off.

"Well, he's a man of action," Kevin commented to no one. Then he hit an intercom button. "Yzak, this is the Captain. Boaz just got nuked."

_"I heard,"_ Yzak replied, fury in his voice._ "Which means GENESIS, right? How long till we reach the PLANTs?"_

"About seventy-two hours."

_"I'll start getting my team ready, then."_ He hesitated._ "Captain Walker, you should probably get ready, too; Stormhawk-"_

"My place is on the Bridge," Kevin said firmly. "I don't have any business-"

_"Your place is out there, fighting with your own machine,"_ Yzak countered._ "Stormhawk, the Zero System, and your augmented reflexes are too important to leave in the rear, Captain. I never thought I'd say this, but we'll have a greater chance of success with all our machines, including yours, participating. Besides, Commander Badgiruel is well able to command in your absence, right?"_

"He's right, Captain," Natarle said. "You make a fine ship commander, but you're a pilot; and nobody else can fly that machine of yours, remember?"

Kevin took a deep breath, and looked over at Cagalli. "Are _you_ okay with this?"

She rolled her eyes. "Kevin, since when have I ever tried to keep you out of a fight? Besides, maybe you'll even have time for a quick stop at Aprilius."

He knew precisely what she meant, and he smiled. "More likely Jachin Due, by the time things heat up again, but I take your point; it might be worth it to pay a visit to Chairman Zala while I'm in the area. Just to... pay my respects." Snake looked at his clone. "John, make sure our weapons are in top form; _Dominion_ will probably have its own part to play. And..." His voice became a hungry whisper. "If you see Azrael's ship, take the shot."

* * *

Seventy-two hours to Jachin Due. Just three days... and they seemed even shorter, as the four lonely ships raced onward, trying to prevent disaster. They were more alone than even the _Archangel_ had ever been, during her trek from Heliopolis to Earth, the Libyan desert to Alaska; for even at the worst of times they'd had the Earth Alliance out there somewhere, and later Orb. Now, they had naught but each other, and if they failed, there would be no others to try again. The fate of the entire world was riding on their shoulders. 

Historians would say that only the most unlikely chain of events imaginable, a string of "lucky breaks" that could have failed them at any time, allowed them to succeed; if at any time, any of the surviving members of the small band had fallen, the entire course of history might have gone very differently, horribly differently.

Some would later try to pin the conclusion of the war on Captain Kevin Walker himself, for his actions in that final, fateful battle. But the Snake himself would always dispute this, saying that it was the courage of his comrades, and of fallen warriors such as Rear Admiral Lewis Halberton, that truly stopped the war. _They_ were the true heroes, and he would always deny that he himself was a hero.

For once, it was not really for history to decide. It was those who were there at the Second Battle of Jachin Due, who truly knew who the heroes were. _They_ knew what happened... and no one who was not there on September 26 and 27, C.E. 71, could ever truly understand the deeds done those two days.

Captain Walker himself, however, had a different, simpler view. "A lot of people who should have lived, died; and a lot more people who had to die, did. That's all there is to understand."

* * *

"So," Kevin Walker said, more to himself than anyone else, three days after Boaz's destruction. "Here we are. And it looks like the Earth Forces haven't even had time to nuke Jachin; that's a pleasant surprise." 

_"Time to get moving, Captain Walker,"_ Waltfeld said from the comm screen._ "Their so-called 'Peacemaker Force' hasn't been deployed yet, but doubtless it will be soon."_

Snake grimaced, but didn't disagree. The Earth Forces' Sixth and Seventh Fleets were already there, and they had begun deploying mobile suits. That meant the nukes weren't about to used quite yet, since the Peacemaker Force was made up of mobile armors, but the Strike Daggers were no doubt intended to clear the path for them.

"I guess it's time," he said quietly. "Murrue? Kisaka? Are you ready?"

_"Mu, Dearka, and Tolle are already aboard their machines,"_ Murrue replied._ "Admittedly, Mir isn't very happy, but we don't have much choice. So we'll begin launching at once."_

_"We're ready, too,"_ Kisaka reported."Kusanagi_'s M1s are ready for lift off."_

_"And the Freedom and Justice are preparing to head out,"_ Waltfeld completed._ "This time, they'll be using METEOR Units. Sorry we don't have one for Stormhawk, but they hadn't quite completed the modifications to the design when you took it back."_

Kevin shrugged. "We'll make do, Andy." He touched an intercom button. "Hanger, this is the Captain. It's show time. Joule team, to the port catapult; Athha team to starboard, and wait for your commander." He looked over at Cagalli. "You sure you're ready for this, tovarisch?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Do you want me to knock your teeth down your throat?"

"That's what I thought." He sighed. "Okay then," he said quietly, looking down into CIC. "Commander Badgiruel, the Bridge is yours."

"I have the Conn," Natarle acknowledged. "Shoot straight, Captain."

"I always do." Kevin extended a hand to Cagalli. "Let's go, tovarisch; we don't want to be late to _this_ party."

* * *

Soon enough, the _Dominion_'s mobile suit teams, consisting of eight GAT-01 Strike Daggers, the MBF-M2 Strike Rouge, the MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke, and, of all things, the GAT-X102 Duel, were ready for launch. 

First up was Yzak, at the port catapult. "This is Yzak Joule. Duel launching!"

While his team of six Daggers followed him, Cagalli's machine entered the starboard catapult. "Strike Rouge, heading out!"

As they launched, their captain sat in his own cockpit, wearing his distinctive black flight suit and idly flexing the metal fingers of his right hand. _So this is it,_ he thought. _The final battle. Will Fate spare me today, as well? Or will it finally be my turn to perish, swallowed by the darkness that consumed Rachel?_

Another's thoughts broke into his. (_Stop it, Kevin,_) Kira told him firmly over their link. (_You'll make it. We can't afford to lose, remember?_)

(_Doesn't mean we'll win,_) Kevin pointed out. (_And even if we do, that's no guarantee I'll survive. But you're right; this isn't the time for brooding. See you out there, Kira._)

Finally, it was Stormhawk's turn to launch. "This is Kevin Walker," he told the Bridge. "Stormhawk launching!"

* * *

While the other machines raced off into the thick of battle, the Freedom and Justice had one more element of preparation to take care of; and the _Eternal_'s METEOR Units detached from the ship, moving under their own power, to rendezvous with the two powerful mobile suits. 

_Here goes nothing,_ Athrun thought as he maneuvered his machine into docking with the massive weapons platform._ I hope this works as advertised, or we could be in trouble._

The METEOR Unit, normally used as a turret-mounted energy cannon by the _Eternal_, was also a huge, external weapons pack intended for use with ZAFT's prototype Gundams. Once docked with the mobile suits, they served to increase the speed of the machines, and their formidable weapons came into play: four beam cannons, of two sizes, two beam blades, and many 60 centimeter missile launchers. Combined with the Gundams' own weapons, they were the most powerful "mobile" weapons ever created by Man.

"You ready, Athrun?" Kira called, having completed his own linkup.

"Ready as I'll ever be," his friend responded. "We'd better hurry; or else Snake'll have blown up everything before we even get there."

"Can't have that." Kira was of the opinion that his adopted brother was a little too free with his fire; after all, you couldn't exactly negotiate with someone when you've annihilated everyone who has the _authority_ to negotiate. Nor could an enemy surrender if his communications systems had all been blown to slag. This, of course, did not deter Kevin, who was a firm believer in, among other things, the saying that soldier's job was not to die for his country, but rather to make the other guy die for _his_.

"Of course, I won't exactly object if he reaches Jachin," Athrun went on. "If he gets the Chairman, maybe the GENESIS threat will be gone."

Kira snorted. "With Le Creuset out there? Not likely, Athrun. One way or another, he's going to do his best to end the world, and we're the only ones who can stop him."

"Yeah." The two boosted out toward the battlefield L5 had become.

* * *

"Hmm..." Muruta Azrael murmured, on the Bridge of his _Agamemnon_-class flagship _Caligula_. "They seem to be putting up quite the defense." 

Indeed, Jachin Due had launched dozens, scores of GuAIZ's, hundreds of older machines, and numerous _Nazca_- and _Laurasia_-class warships. Had this been like the First Battle of Jachin Due, the Earth Forces would have been slaughtered.

Unfortunately for the PLANTs, things had changed. The Earth Forces now had mobile suits of their own, in the form of the GAT-01 Strike Daggers and Azrael's three new Gundams with their insane pilots. And, of course, the Peacemaker Force, the mobile armor squadrons armed with nuclear weapons; weapons which they had proven were capable of blowing away entire asteroids, if fired in sufficient numbers.

"In the end, it will do them no good," his flag captain, William Sutherland, opined. "We have nuclear weapons; they have nothing but mobile suits and warships."

"But the so-called 'Three Ships Alliance' now has the _Dominion_," Azrael reminded him. "If they choose to intervene, it could be ugly... especially if the rumors are true about who's in command these days." That was a source of considerable annoyance to him; three and a half years ago, he'd gone to some lengths to take out the fencing prodigy Kevin Onishi, only to discover later that the little space monster had taken a different flight from his parents. It had, to be sure, been a delicious irony when he used that same Coordinator to engineer the Mendel Incident, but Azrael had not counted on "Cain" surviving long enough to actually endanger his operations. If he was out there, he would be coming for Azrael's head. "Of course," he went on with an ugly smile, "if they _do_ come calling, we call always nuke _them_ too..."

"Sir!" a crewman reported. "Our mobile suits have cleared a path. Shall we...?"

Sutherland nodded. "Yes, send out the Peacemaker Force. It's time to put an end to this, once and for all. Those abominations have plagued us for far too long."

Azrael watched gleefully as the nuclear-laden Moebius units began to launch...

* * *

"Solkin syn," Kevin muttered in Stormhawk's cockpit, seeing the mobile armors emerge. He knew that, with the advent of the Strike Daggers, there was only one thing the Earth Alliance kept mobile armors around for. And that meant they had arrived not a moment too soon. "Snake to group," he radioed. "Peacemaker Force is launching. Prepare to intercept." At long last, though he didn't notice it, he was slipping back into the habits of command drilled into him as commander of the Destroyers. The skills from those horrific days would serve him one again, on a battlefield he had never expected. 

"Here they come, Kevin," Cagalli called, arming her weapons. "Let's get them!"

"Roger that. Break formation and open fire!"

The ZAFT defenders seemed bemused by the sudden appearance of the Three Ships Alliance craft, but they didn't look a gift snake in the mouth. As long as they were shooting at the missiles, the ZAFT pilots had better things to do than shoot them.

"Let's dance," Kevin whispered, and opened fire with both buster rifles, trusting the Zero System to show him the way.

Commanders on both sides were stunned as nuclear missiles began detonating well short of their targets, creating a blinding fireworks display across the entire region of space. "Bastards!" Azrael muttered through gritted teeth.

"Shoot down all those missiles!" Yzak shouted. "Don't let them hit the PLANTs!" Leading his half-squadron of Daggers, he plunged into the battle.

"Not a chance," Shani Andras whispered. "I wanna see all the pretty lights."

"Oh, shut _up!"_ Kevin said in annoyance, and spared a moment of attention to kick the Forbidden in the back. "Leave us alone, or I will blow you to your constituent atoms!"

By this time, beams were going all over the place. Cagalli and Mu firing single shots at any missile in range, Dearka opening up with his anti-armor shotgun, Tolle's Wraith (nearly useless at long range) providing support by cutting apart any Dagger unlucky enough to enter range of his cloaked machine. "Slash, slash, slash!"

One of Yzak's team raced toward the terrible warheads, beam rifle blazing; he'd been highly impressed by his new Captain's speech the day he captured the _Dominion_, and he was determined to do his part... and so he did.

Yzak cursed as the overzealous, but heroic, pilot vanished in a nuclear explosion caused by his own fire. "Idiot! Don't get too close!"

Kevin quickly seconded the remark. "No heroics," he snapped. "We need dead nukes, not dead people." He swore then, viciously, as another of his men was wiped away by an opposing Dagger. "That does it," he hissed. "You're all mine!"

"Snake, no!" Dearka shouted. "Are you out of your mind?"

Snake paid him no heed, charging directly into the thick of the Alliance's mobile suit formation. "I will crush you into dust," he whispered savagely. The Stormhawk threw its shield into one Dagger, whipped out both beam sabers, and went to town.

On _Dominion_'s Bridge, Natarle smiled to herself, seeing the carnage her captain was wreaking upon the Earth Forces. It was impossible to see details in that melee, but pieces of mobile suit were flying everywhere... and then he was through.

Eyes jade ice, Kevin snapped his buster rifles together. "I'll kill you." He fired directly into the waves of nuclear missiles, taking out over two dozen.

That was when Cagalli saw it; a flicker of motion diverting her attention from her own targets. "Kevin, look out! There's a-"

His head whipped around in time to see a nuclear missile heading directly for him. "Uh oh." There was no time to dodge, barely time to raise his weapons as the atomic weapon rushed for him-

-and exploded as the Freedom and Justice arrived, using their advanced targeting computers to fire on dozens of bogies, mobile weapon and nuke alike, within fractions of a second. "You still out there, Kevin?" Athrun called.

"I'm a little cooked, but I'm okay," the super-soldier responded. He glanced around, and grimaced. "But around half my Daggers are gone; curse those nukes!"

"Curse those machines," Azrael said savagely on the _Caligula_. "They're always turning up at the most inconvenient times." He looked over at Sutherland. "Captain, order a few of our mobile armors to re-prioritize their fire; nuke those three. I want those machines _dead!"_

"Oh, not good," Kevin muttered, seeing half a dozen Moebiuses alter course. "Kira, Athrun, we've got company. Watch out for nuclear weapons."

"Roger that." Freedom and Justice executed rapid vector changes of their own, leaving the mobile armors in the dust while they opened fire on the nukes again... leaving Stormhawk right in their path once again.

"You know, I could really get to hate this war," Kevin murmured dryly. "Oh, wait; I already do." He raised his buster rifles, preparatory to blowing his enemies into space dust.

Aboard, _Dominion_, Meryl Steiglitz watched anxiously as her captain stood alone against nuclear weapons. "Commander Badgiruel...?"

Natarle nodded. "Right. Mr. Tyler, provide fire support for the Stormhawk."

"You got it," the clone said easily. Tapping in the commands, he told the Gottfrieds to pulverize the threat.

They complied, and Kevin winced at the energy seething outside his cockpit. "Thanks for the assist, _Dominion_, but next time, try something a little smaller, will ya?"

_"Sorry, Captain,"_ Natarle replied, not sounding very apologetic,_ "but the Valiants couldn't get a shot and the Igelstellungs don't have the range."_

"Yeah, yeah..." He switched frequencies. "Cagalli, you still okay?"

"As if I'd get hurt," his girlfriend said with a snort, blowing apart another missile. "I think we've about got them."

"Good. I-"

Things suddenly began to happen.

* * *

On Jachin Due, Supreme Council Chairman Patrick Zala watched the battle with increasing anger. "Enough!" he said finally. "It's time. Drop the Mirage Colloid, and signal our units to get out of the way. We're going to use it!" 

"Yes, sir!"

Most of the Three Ships Alliance's personnel swore simultaneously as the huge object flowed into view beyond Jachin. "Solkin syn!" Kevin breathed. Switching to a general frequency, he shouted, "Everybody, get out, _now!_ They're gonna fire GENESIS!"

Mobile suits began to scatter, and the _Archangel, Kusanagi, Eternal, _and_ Dominion_ hurriedly broke off, frantically trying to get out of the path of the gigantic weapon.

"Not good, not good, not good," Kevin said to himself, trying to withdraw himself (he'd known GENESIS was there, but he had not expected to find himself directly in its line of fire). "I'm not gonna make it..."

Then the Freedom's METEOR Unit swooped by, allowing Stormhawk to get a hand on it and a quick lift out of the danger zone. "I've gotcha," Kira said reassuringly.

"Thanks, tovarisch."

Zala watched in satisfaction and grim pleasure as the weapon coalesced. "Activate Phase-shift," he ordered. "Set output to 60 and prepare to detonate nuclear cartridge."

"Understood, sir."

"This is bad," Kevin whispered. Stormhawk could detect no change in the status of GENESIS, but his augmentation, boosted through the mobile suit, could; and he easily sensed the radiation surge of an armed nuclear warhead building up to detonation. He keyed his radio again. "Break, break, _break!"_ he shouted. "Everybody out!"

"GENESIS confirmed ready, sir," Jachin's fire-control officer reported. "At your command, sir."

Zala nodded. "Fire!"

Across that area of space, horrified eyes were riveted to the sight of the enormous gamma-ray weapon firing. The gigantic beam reached out for the Earth Forces fleet...

* * *

Glossary

* * *

Hyper-jammer:

A refinement of the Neutron-jammer (which, in addition to preventing fission reactions, distorts radio and radar waves), the hyper-jammer, in addition to the aforementioned capabilities, also distorts, within a localized area, the form of radiation known as light, as well as thermal radiation. This makes the mobile suit nearly invisible, and unlike Mirage Colloid particles, the effect does not dissipate over time.

Theoretically, a Neutron-jammer canceler could disrupt the hyper-jammer's field, just as it would a standard N-jammer, but this would only occur if the mobile suit got _very_ close to something it shouldn't, such as a nuclear bomb (potentially, a nuclear-powered mobile suit's own N-jammer canceler could disrupt the effect, but such units intended for powerplants cover _only_ the area of the reactor, leaving the exterior of the machine unaffected).

Augmentation:

The technology known as cybernetic augmentation is what made the Destroyers what they were. Combined with chemical learning techniques, it made them virtually unstoppable.

The "basic" augmentation package consisted of artificial enhancements to the musculature, nervous system, and five natural senses; in addition, it toughens the subject's skin, reinforces the skeletal structure with mobile suit armor alloy, and vastly increasing the subject's psychomotor responses.

Those are the passive elements of the cybernetics, unpowered and thus always online. The active parts of the augmentation are as follows: a computer implant in the brain, allowing for a database function and rapid calculation abilities (frequently linked into the nervous system for weapon aiming); a built-in drug pharmacopoeia, including everything from coagulants and stimulants to adrenaline boosters and suicide nerve toxins; active strength enhancements, allowing the subject to lift up to ten times his own body weight; an implanted radio, located in the mastoid area (it operates using quantum mechanics, thus evading the problems of the N-jammers); and a neural-interface implant, allowing the subject to link his/her mind with a computer. This can be used for hacking, or, as demonstrated by Kevin Walker, direct, mental control of mobile suits and other machines.

That is the most basic augmentation package, variations of which were given to eleven of the twelve Destroyers, as well as to the members of the Serpent's Head Project and the assassin called Invictus. However, Kevin Walker also received an electromagnetic field, operating on a peculiar frequency that deflected high-velocity metallic objects; and specialized nanotechnology, manifesting itself in the form of quick-heal nanites and the metal claws that were his trademark. (See also: _Nanotechnology_.)

* * *

Author's note: Boaz has been destroyed, and GENESIS has been fired for the first time. Soon comes the grand finale, Gotterdammerung. Will the Grim Reaper catch up with Kevin Walker at last? 

Well, quite the response I got for that last chapter; I'm guessing no one saw it coming. However, I'm surprised no one called me on the GENESIS acronym. According to the series, it stands for "Gamma Emission by Nuclear Explosion _Stimulate Inducing_ System". I changed those two words because, frankly, they don't make any sense.

Incidentally, Chapter 33's title, "Who Dares, Wins", is the motto of the British Special Air Service; a misleading name, since the only things they have to do with airplanes is jumping out of them and blowing them up.

RVD, that last chapter was the reason I mentioned that if your story was post-series, you'd need a little more information. As I anticipated, no one expected _that_ particular twist; but, as your story is _not_ post-series, it was irrelevant (at least until your story reaches that point in the series).

Ominae, I thought you might like that scene. It actually was not part of the original draft; I added it when my plans for the sequel began to solidify, thus requiring something of the sort. Since there's a good two months between Mendel and Boaz, that chapter seemed the best place.

Katana, I'm glad you approve; I've gotten complements before, but I think this is the first time somehow has called this the _best_ SEED story. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, just trying not to get a swelled head.

I, too, get the feeling that Kevin isn't an OC; sometimes it gets to the point where, when watching the anime, I wonder for a moment where he is. I set out to tie him into the story's history -a first for me, with OCs- and apparently I succeeded. Interestingly, he didn't start out that way; in the notes for the final chapter, I'll be going into Kevin Walker's genesis as a character (as opposed to a person within the story). You might find it interesting reading, as he started out as something very different from the final iteration seen in Chapter 1.

As I've mentioned before, I did my utmost not to make Kevin _too_ overpowering, so as not to overshadow the other characters. That's why he had so much trouble with mobile suit flying at first, and part of why he has mental… issues, you might call them.

I checked out that website you mentioned, by the way; a few other reviewers had told me of it, and I decided I probably should take a look. I found it quite interesting, with information I notice the official website doesn't have; thanks to those who brought it to my attention.

Deathzealot, I do not recall ever coming across anything that said the _Archangel_ could only carry eight mobile suits. In fact, I never found anything at all that indicated how many it could carry, so I based my calculations largely on the _Kusanagi_. That particular ship can carry at least thirteen mobile suits (in Phase 40 you see a dozen Astrays being loaded, and there's also the Strike Rouge), and since the _Archangel_-class is a full 55 meters longer than an _Izumo_ (_Kusanagi_ is 290, while _Archangel_ is 345), I thought two additional mobile suits wouldn't be a stretch. As for the destroyed Strike Daggers, I can only recall seeing a couple of them blown up anyway (a little tweaking may be necessary anyway, though; your point about the three G-machines is well taken).

Daniel Lynx, I'm glad you approve; though personally, I would have thought hijacking the _Dominion_ would be a bigger twist, since Yzak _does_ fight alongside them eventually in the series. I suppose I could be wrong, though…

Red Eyed Divine Dragoon77415, it's coming, okay? And thanks for the review.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I'm glad _someone_ agrees with me that Natarle isn't such a bad character.

As Kevin and Cagalli's relationship, well… how _could_ they keep it secret? They're both pretty famous in Orb, and given the rumors years before…

Relik, I'm not sure what humorous aspects you're referring to; except perhaps part of the Kevin/Murrue scene, and perhaps a few wisecracks. But… what do I know?

I'm pleased you approved of the twist with Yzak; I've noticed a lot of people don't seem to like him much. Admittedly, he's not my _favorite_ character, but he's not exactly horrible either; and as for the incident with the Eighth Fleet, it's obvious he didn't realize that was a shuttle full of civilians.

Shinji Ikari, not sure if I'll use the acronym you suggested or not; seems to work okay as is, given what it means. It's a possibility, though.

Yes indeed, it's often not a good idea to read the author's notes before the entire chapter; sometimes they make reference to events earlier on, as you saw. Oops?

Personally, I don't see that I'll need to tweak much with the Mendel battle, but I agree the dialogue will have to be modified. I'll get to it soon enough (no choice, unless I want to do it after the _entire_ story is posted; we're nearing the end here).

I'm afraid I disagree with you on Kira calling Kevin "Snake"; in my opinion, Kira's doubts from earlier on are long gone, and have nothing to do with why he's depressed at this point. By now, he's firmly committed to trying to end the war as quickly as possible, even if it means fighting.

As you can see, the Glossary entry for hyper-jammers has finally arrived; credit goes to Dragoon Swordsman for suggesting it. And no, I never even considered using the official explanation for them. "Mysterious particles" doesn't even really make sense. Besides which, the canonical hyper-jammers didn't actually make the machine invisible to the naked eye, just to cameras and radar; it was the Deathscythe H's active cloak that made it truly invisible.

I'll be tweaking the _Dominion_-capture sequences, never fear; but I should point out a couple things. First of all, with Steiglitz being armed on the Bridge: remember, she arrives _after_ the intruder alert sounds; on her way up for duty or not, it would be very prudent to take a detour to grab a weapon on the way into a potentially-hostile situation, wouldn't you say?

Second: certainly ABADDON is not common knowledge among the Earth Forces. However, Natarle and Azrael find out while they're at Mendel, and it would be only prudent to brief the crew on the possible danger. In my opinion, it makes _perfect_ sense for them to be at least slightly familiar with it.

Third: hate to spoil your fun, but I actually _did_ read the entry about the Strike Rouge. However, you'll notice I didn't specify _why_ it had a custom paint job, now did I? (Beware trying to catch me in a factual error based on information from the website, as I have read _everything_ in the Gundam SEED section. So there.)

Fourth: I know GENESIS wouldn't crack the planet open. On the other hand, Kevin wasn't attempting to be scientifically precise. Cracked open or superheated, the end result is, from a practical standpoint, the same.

Point taken, on the other hand, about Flay; though with the scene where Kevin ends up in command, I'll have to check back. I don't seem to remember her being present for that… but I could wrong (hard to keep track of everything, after all this time and writing).

You needn't worry about postponing edits causing me problems -and more edits- later on; the whole time I've been working on this story, I haven't bothered to take notes, and don't really need them.

Yes, this _is_ what I meant by Kevin getting heavier firepower than a METEOR; after all, an _Archangel_-class it the most powerful warship class in the SEED universe. And don't worry, Kevin is far from done flying; he'll have his encounter with Providence. In fact, it'll be crucial, as you'll see.

I'm guessing, by the way, that you meant other people convincing Kevin to become a _Captain?_ Because convincing him to become a Kevin just doesn't make any sense.

With regards to Tolle, I do try to involve him, but with everything else going on, combined with the fact that he isn't as good a mobile suit pilot as the others, it can be a little difficult. Hence his is more of a support role usually, dealing with mass-produced suits.

The Kevin/Murrue scene seems to have been a big hit; as I mentioned earlier, it wasn't part of the original draft. I added it because it fills a need for the sequel, and because, as you saw, it was a very good way to expound upon Kevin's character a little more. (On a side note, I'm almost disappointed nobody tried to tell me the Fencing Prince aspect was out of character; I didn't get to use a couple of perfectly good counter arguments.) In any case, I'm glad you liked it; that scene is one of the ones I'm most proud of, though it required tweaking of later chapter (originally, the two weren't quite _that_ close).

As for Kevin not claiming his real family name, I will say only that his identities -besides Kevin Onishi- are not to be well-publicized until much later.

I might have included the scene with Cagalli shouting at her father over assassinating Kevin… except that I hadn't the foggiest idea how to go about it. It wasn't essential, so I decided not to worry about it.

Athrun would certainly have told Kevin his father believed ABADDON to be entirely voluntary; but that wouldn't necessarily mean much to him. Patrick Zala was still responsible for the Project, and when you think about it, he _should_ have known. You're supposed to maintain closer oversight than that, especially when dealing with a known mad scientist.

Another two thousands words of author's notes; I'm thinking of committing hara-kiri. Of course, if I do that, I'm sure you'll just figure out how Kevin Walker keeps coming back from the dead and use it on _me_, so I might as well save myself some pain. (Of course, if the notes weren't _interesting_ to write, I might do it anyway.) Anyway, let me know how it was; and remember: the end is near. -Solid Shark


	35. Chapter 35: Goetterdaemmerung

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, his clones, and Max

* * *

The beam was gargantuan. 

That was the only way Kevin Walker, who had seen some very impressive beams in his time, could describe the flow of coherent gamma rays lancing across space. It defied comprehension, even by a being such as he.

Mobile suits and capital ships were scattering in all directions, trying frantically to evade the light-speed weapon. Some made it; others did not, as the powerful surge of radiation exploded ships, mobile weapons, and human bodies alike.

"Whoa," Kevin whispered, seeing the aftermath of an event that had taken less than a second. "That madman... he actually went and did it..."

Stormhawk hovered on the periphery of the blast zone, carefully staying clear of any residual radiation; it might not get through the machine's shielding, but Snake was taking no chances. Enough of him had been replaced as it was. He didn't fancy requiring a whole new body.

Cagalli's Strike Rouge was quickly by his side. "Kevin, was that...?" She sounded as shocked as he felt.

Kevin nodded. "No doubt about it. GENESIS... the one weapon I hoped never to face." He tapped his radio controls. "_Dominion_, can you give me a sitrep?"

_"Too early for details, Captain,"_ Natarle answered,_ "but we can make some rough estimates. I suggest, however, that you wait until you've returned to the ships."_ She paused, listening. _"Captain, the _Archangel_ has sent a general return signal. It's time to pull back, for now."_

"For now," he repeated. "Agreed. Yzak, Cagalli, get your teams back to the ships. What's left of them," he added bitterly; the battle had not been kind to the _Dominion_'s complement of Strike Daggers. "I'll follow you in, after I check on the battle zone."

"Roger that," Yzak agreed. He turned, leading his own two remaining subordinates to their mothership.

"We're going," Cagalli said reluctantly. "But you'd better be quick, got it?"

Kevin waved a hand. "Yeah, sure. I'll be fine." Without further ado, he directed his machine forward.

* * *

The Earth Forces were in full retreat by this time. They'd not been expecting anything like GENESIS, and its attack had stunned and terrified the industrialist leading them. 

While Muruta Azrael's forces, his _Caligula_ in the lead, began to withdraw, the ZAFT forces saw only an opportunity to get some of their own back against the accursed Naturals. Seeing them retreating, without any thought of fighting, the ZAFT GuAIZ's charged forward. "Now we've gotcha!" one impetuous pilot shouted, firing into the retreating Daggers.

Kira, seeing this, was incensed. Heedless of his own personal safety, he rushed at the ZAFT machines, releasing his METEOR, computer already locking on. "Don't attack those who aren't fighting back!"

"Kira, wait!" Athrun called, even as the Freedom opened fire. "Oh, for..." He changed course, joining in with his own weapons.

"You're both idiots," Kevin muttered; they'd passed him on the way in. "Oh, well." He engaged the Zero System and likewise began opening fire... though unlike his friends, he wasn't going for disarming attacks, and he wasn't very particular about which side he shot. He hated the Earth Forces, because of their connection to Blue Cosmos, almost as much as he hated ZAFT.

ZAFT won out for the sole reason that they had attempted to turn him into a monster, and nearly succeeded. Had Reverend Malchio and Cagalli Yula Athha not gotten his head straightened out, he might well have become the thing he despised, even as he tried to avoid it. And in the end, death might truly have been his only option.

With almost casual ease, the Stormhawk swatted a GuAIZ, which the Freedom had already beheaded, from the heavens with a buster rifle shot, while the other simultaneously engaged a separate target at a completely different angle.

Now completely ignoring the Daggers as beneath his notice, Kevin wove among the ZAFT forces, blasting at everything in sight, until it was clear both sides were falling back. (_C'mon, tovarisch,_) he said across his link with Kira. (_Let's get out of here, before somebody decides to start chucking nukes _our_ way._)

(_Right,_) Kira agreed, satisfied for the moment. (_You should come with us to the _Eternal) he added. (_We need to figure out what just happened, and how to stop it from happening again._)

(_Agreed._)

* * *

Within an hour after ZAFT's surprise rout of the Earth Forces, Waltfeld, Lacus, Kira, and Athrun were gathered on the _Eternal_'s Bridge; they were joined by Murrue, Kevin, and Cagalli, while Erica Simmons attended via radio. 

_"That weapon appears to fire a coherent stream of gamma rays,"_ she was saying._ "Think of it as a gamma ray laser. Its power, as you saw, was far in excess of any other known weapon, even positron cannons."_

"If those were gamma rays, how were we able to see them?" Murrue asked, frowning.

Kevin handled that. "Particulate matter, excited by the energy surge. In other words, space dust."

Erica nodded. _"Right. It looks like you were right about what they've done, Baron. Fortunately, they can't seem to fire consecutive shots; from what we can tell, the very mirror used to reflect the energy back into the device is destroyed by the beam, so it has to replaced after every shot. That gives us a window of opportunity to destroy it."_

"How long do we have?" Waltfeld said sharply.

She shrugged. _"Depends on when they begin replacement. Since they've never used it before, I'd guess the crews aren't yet accustomed to moving in new mirrors, so even if they start now, sheer inexperience should give us till sometime tomorrow."_

Lacus sighed, depressed. "Is it weapons that are at fault in this conflict? Or is the real cause within the human soul?"

Her brother looked at her. "I think we know the answer to that, Lacus," he said quietly. "Humans are flawed. War is part of our nature. All we can hope to do is minimize the damage, try to stop weapons like this before they can be used on innocents." Kevin grimaced. "If we can't destroy it, we have only one real hope: the MAD Deterrent."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "The MAD Deterrent?"

"Its acronym is very fitting, believe me," Snake told him grimly. "Back during the A.D., before the Reconstruction War, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were engaged in a so-called 'Cold War'. Perhaps the only thing that kept war at bay long enough for the USSR to collapse was the fact that both sides had large numbers of nuclear weapons. One side might lose the war, but they could certainly assure that nobody else _won_ it, either. It was called the MAD Deterrent, for 'Mutually Assured Destruction'."

"That's crazy!" Athrun protested.

"Isn't it?" the super-soldier agreed. "But the fact is, it works; even the craziest, most megalomaniacal, genocidal leader usually isn't crazy enough to launch an attack when he _knows_ he'll end up just as bad off as his enemy. Of course, MAD was rendered pointless by the N-jammers, but it appears this Cold War just got hot again."

"You got _that_ right, Racher," his mentor concurred. "So, how _do_ we destroy it? Throw rocks?"

"Our best, ideal option would be to simply pound it into scrap," Kevin said, examining the data that Erica had sent over (it was far more current than that which resided in his head). "The problem is, we may not have time for that. ZAFT _and_ the Earth Forces would both be trying to blow us away."

"So what do we do?" Murrue glanced around at the assembled people. "Just send the plans for GENESIS to the Earth Forces? Even if that were a smart idea, they wouldn't possibly have enough time to build it themselves."

"Well..." he said slowly, "there _is_ one other option." He looked up, face carefully composed. "Stormhawk is equipped with a three-kiloton nuclear self-destruct device."

Cagalli instantly protested. "Kevin, you are _not_ going to blow yourself up-"

Kevin raised a hand. "Hear me out, please. I'm not proposing to blow myself up. What I have in mind is to fly directly inside GENESIS, via the emitter shaft -hopefully _not _while they're firing- or possibly an access shaft, jettison the nuke, and Stormhawk's N-jammer canceler with it. It'll mean I'll be reduced to the energy battery on the way out, but with a time delay of, say, three minutes, I should be fine." At that, Kira looked at him sharply, but held his tongue.

Cagalli still looked dubious. "I suppose... but this _is_ a last resort, right?"

He nodded. "Of course. I'm sure we'll find another way; I just thought we should be aware of our options, that's all."

Kira gave him another look, then shrugged. "I guess that's it, then." A thought occurred to him, and he glanced at Waltfeld. "So what's the status of the Earth Forces fleet, anyway?"

The Desert Tiger shrugged. "About forty percent of their ships were wiped out in the blast, along with countless mobile suits and what was left of the Peacemaker Force. Unfortunately, _Caligula_ was not among the casualties."

_"Caligula?"_ Kevin said sharply. "What's that?"

Waltfeld half-smiled. "_Caligula_ is an _Agamemnon_-class ship, commanded by one Rear Admiral William Sutherland. I think you can figure out who's really in charge."

"Azrael," the super-soldier hissed. "And he's made his pet captain an admiral, has he? I'll make sure _Caligula_ doesn't survive our next meeting."

"Who was Caligula?" Kira wanted to know. "I've heard the name before, but..."

"If memory serves," Kevin began, "Caligula was a Roman Emperor, way back when. He was a despotic tyrant -assuming that's not redundant- and he's famous for having said something to the effect of 'if all my subjects had a single throat, I'd cut it'. It figures Azrael would name his personal ship after such a man."

"Doesn't surprise me, either, Brother." Murrue glanced at her watch. "Well, if we've got a few hours, we should probably get some rest. I'll be heading back to the _Archangel_."

The group moved toward the elevator in the Bridge's aft bulkhead. "I'll sleep in the Freedom's cockpit," Kira announced. "We may not have much warning when the attack starts again."

"Me, too," Athrun agreed. "Kevin, what about you and Cagalli?"

Kevin draped an arm across Cagalli's shoulders. "We're returning to the _Dominion_, of course. Our machines are based there, and remember, it's _you_ guys who had the crazy idea to put me in charge."

"Yes, I suppose it was," Murrue said with a smile. "Seems to have worked out well, though."

"So far, Sis."

With Murrue, Athrun, Cagalli, and Kevin already in the elevator, Lacus caught Kira's shoulder. "Kira..."

He blinked, then shrugged, and looked at the others; a knowing smile on his face, Kevin hit the switch, and the doors close. "What's up, Lacus?"

She hesitated a moment. "Well..." Finally gathering her courage, she held up a ring. "Please, take this."

Kira held it, and started. It was the very ring Lacus had worn while engaged to Athrun. "Lacus, I..." He simply looked at it for a time, at a complete loss for words.

* * *

Meantime, Kevin and Cagalli had reached the _Eternal_'s hanger, where they parted company with Murrue. "Say, Kevin..." she began. 

He turned his head. "Yeah, tovarisch?"

"I want you to have these." Cagalli reached up to her throat and lifted the dog tags she wore; then she put them around Kevin's neck. "For luck."

He lifted them enough to look at them. "Thanks," he said after a time, voice soft. "This means a lot, doesn't it, tovarisch?"

She couldn't suppress a smile. "Well, I already gave Athrun my amulet; you need _something_ to take with you. And I know, you don't need luck; you're the avatar of the Grim Reaper." They both rolled their eyes; Dearka's nickname for him appeared to have stuck. "But there's Death, and then there's Dead. I don't want you to end up like that, you know?"

"'Course I do," he agreed quietly, smiling. "I haven't come this far just to get myself killed in the final assault. Besides, you'd never forgive me I didn't come back; and Mu wouldn't have anyone to irritate. Can't have that, now can we?"

Cagalli snorted. "I remember you thought differently a few months ago." _I seem to remember you threatening to kill him a few -dozen- times._

"Ahh, that was before we got together," Kevin said, waving a dismissive hand. "It irritated me for a number of reasons that I won't go into and no longer apply. _Now_ it's amusing... as long as he doesn't take it to excess."

"Which, of course, he will," she pointed out. "What do you do then?"

"Then," he said, an uncharacteristic twinkle in one jade eye, "I find out just what my cybernetic arm can really do to a man... short of killing him, that is." Kevin chuckled, then turned serious. "But right now, Mu La Flaga isn't really who I'm concerned with."

Cagalli closed her eyes as he pulled her close and kissed her.

* * *

A few decks above, in the elevator, Kira finally looked up from the ring and smiled. "This means a lot," he said quietly, unconsciously echoing his adopted brother's words. "Thank you." 

The doors slid open, and he started to turn away; but Lacus' voice stopped him. "Kira... please come back," she whispered. "Come back to _me."_

Kira looked briefly taken aback (something which would have greatly amused Kevin, who had seen this coming all the way back on the _Archangel_, before even the battle of the Eighth Fleet). But he quickly recovered, smiled, and leaned close to kiss her on the cheek. "I'll be fine," he told her. "I _will_ be coming back. That's a promise."

The he turned away and pushed off, floating through the air toward the _Eternal_'s hanger. "Kira!" Lacus called after him. Troubled, she turned back to the elevator, wondering deep inside if any of them would get out of this next, last battle alive.

* * *

It was to be their final rest before everything was over, one way or the other; so Kevin Walker quickly returned to his quarters on the _Dominion_ once he was back aboard. 

They had once belonged to Muruta Azrael; whatever the merely official table of organization might have said, he was the man truly in command of the _Dominion_. But with his departure, Natarle Badgiruel had insisted that her new captain take them over, and just this once, he was grateful.

Kevin did not expect this night to be very restful. Even after all this time, he was still plagued by the nightmares which had haunted him since the gruesome end to the Project; and tonight, he expected it to be far, far worse. For that day, he had been a witness to the fact that ZAFT truly was in a position to end the war... which meant Oracle's voice would doubtless speak to him again, as he slept. The maniac's conditioning had never truly left him; back in the Libyan desert, before he had awakened to find himself in Cagalli's care, Oracle's long-dead voice had whispered to him, as it always did when times such as this came.

_Well,_ Kevin told himself,_ look at it this way: tomorrow, one way or the other, it will all be over. Patrick Zala will be dead, or you will be dead. Either way, peace will be mine at last. If it be my fate to enter the eternal darkness, the eternal light one more time, then so be it. Just so long as my murdered comrades haunt me no more._

Soon, Kevin slipped into fitful sleep... and faced his past one last time.

_"It's time, Hydra," Oracle's voice whispered to him. "GENESIS has been born; the final victory of the Coordinators is at hand. Awake from your long sleep, Cain, and complete the mission you began at Mendel, so long ago!"_

_Shut up, Oracle. You're dead. You have no more power over me. I threw off your brainwashing years ago, the very night I killed you. Now return to your grave and trouble me no more!_

_"Is that any way to speak to the man who made you what you are? Who granted you life long beyond the span of mere mortals? You are a new race, Hydra, an entirely new species! You have surpassed Naturals, you have surpassed even Coordinators. You and yours will be the ones to lead humanity into a new world order, the master race that should have been brought about centuries ago."_

_You're crazy, Oracle. I have abilities beyond any other, yes; but I am still human. I am not a monster, and I am _not_ part of any "master race"!_

_"You are wrong, Hydra, very wrong; and now you will be able to fulfill my dream of long ago, the new Reich. Once Earth is gone, only Coordinators will remain-"_

_Enough!_

_In the world of his mind, Kevin put a pistol bullet through the head of his former master, leaving the insane scientist dead at his feet. But the worst was yet to come._

_"You killed me," Michael Carnehan, the Kraken, hissed. "You and your high-born girlfriend, you murdered me, your own brother, after you killed all the rest. After you killed-"_

_"After you killed_ me,"_ Erica Hawk, the young woman known as Scylla, accused. Her body was mangled, nearly torn in half by the sharp implement that had killed her. "You were one of us, our leader, and yet you turned on us, murdered us, and went on to sabotage our dream of a new world for the Coordinators. You're the monster you accused us of being."_

"You proved your inhuman strength,_ inhuman fury, when you crushed me to bloody dust," the huge Charlie Evans, codename Talos, rumbled. "No human could have destroyed me that way... only a monster could."_

"Your cunning, your ruthlessness evaded even my unending vigilance," the upper half of Simon Priest, alias Cerberus, intoned.

Then came the very worst, as Rachel Carver's form, throat ripped out, formed in his mind. "Avenge me, Kevin..." she whispered. "Destroy that which tore us apart... even yourself..."

(_Hey, wake up! Kevin, wake up!_)

Kevin shot bolt upright in his bunk as another's voice penetrated his mind. "Wha-?"

(_Relax, Kevin,_) Kira's voice soothed in his head. (_It was just a dream... well, nightmare, anyway. It's over._) He sounded vaguely amused for a moment. (_So this is why you don't get much sleep, huh?_)

(_Yeah, something like that,_) Kevin replied, using his augmentation to slow down his heart rate to something resembling normal. (_Thanks, tovarisch; that was a bad one._)

(_I can see that. So, that was Oracle, huh? That guy's crazier than I thought._) Snake had the distinct impression of a shaking head over the link. (_He sounded like a Nazi. I mean, "master race"? A "new Reich"?_)

Kevin chuckled. (_As a matter of fact, the madman truly believed himself to be the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler, and he was absolutely determined to prove it. How someone so obviously insane got into such a position of power within ZAFT Special Forces -or anywhere else- I'll never know. The important thing is, he's dead, and you just got his dead voice out of my head... for now, at least. Thanks._)

(_No problem._) Kira paused. (_Kevin, you were hiding something during the meeting, weren't you?_)

The super-soldier attempted innocence. (_I don't know what you're talking about._)

(_Sure you do. When you talked about using your machine's demolition charge, you were obviously holding something back. I'm surprised Cagalli didn't notice; but then, she can't see inside your head the way I can._)

Kevin sighed. (_Okay, Kira. Yeah, I was holding out. Sure, I consider that to be a last resort... but unfortunately, I don't think any other option is likely to work very well. And if it does come down to it, it's very unlikely that I'll survive._)

Denial flooded the link. (_No way._)

(_Kira, a point everyone seems to have overlooked is that to even reach GENESIS, I'll have to fight my way through the Jachin Due defenses, ZAFT's mobile units, and in all probability, the Earth Forces. Now, with the Zero System, and Stormhawk's neural linkage systems, I have a very good chance of reaching GENESIS alive... but the odds of arriving _intact_ are very slim. I'll be able to deploy the nuke, and maybe even get out of the blast radius, but it's highly unlikely I'll escape the radiation. If it reaches me, I'll be as dead as anyone else, because my radiation shielding isn't that strong, and the possibility also exists that the resulting EMP will overwhelm Stormhawk _and_ my augmentation. If that happens, it's all over... and you know it._)

(_No..._) Kira was silent for a time, digesting the cold, unpleasant facts. (_You haven't told Cagalli, have you? If you had, she'd shoot you again, you know._)

Kevin shook his head. (_No, I haven't told her, for that very reason; and shooting me won't change the facts: GENESIS has to be stopped. Isn't one life for billions an equitable trade?_)

(_Since when have you been altruistic?_) Kira demanded. (_Since when have you cared what happened to the world? You always say you're loyal to your friends, not any government. So why...?_)

(_This_ is_ protecting my friends, tovarisch; GENESIS is as indiscriminate as you can get. It'll kill any of you just as easily as it kills anyone else. Better it be me, than any of you._)

(_Cagalli won't see it that way,_) Kira muttered. (_Well, then we'll just have to make sure you _don't_ need to do it, huh?_)

(_Yeah._) Kevin managed a silent chuckle. (_Well, hey; I _have_ been known to be wrong, once in a while. Maybe I am here. Now _you,_ tovarisch, should get some sleep; you need more than I do._)

He felt Kira's agreement. (_I know. Are _you_ going to get any more sleep?_)

(_Maybe; probably not, though. Better to settle for what I got than risk more nightmares._) Kevin's mental voice turned hard. (_In any case, tomorrow it'll be over. I'll be dead, or I'll have killed Patrick Zala. It can be no other way._)

(_And this is why Captain Waltfeld calls you Racher,_) Kira said dryly. (_Good night, Kevin._)

* * *

The General Quarters alarm woke Kevin very suddenly, and nearly caused his finely-honed reflexes to blast an intercom panel to scrap metal before he even realized he was conscious. 

When he did so realize, he set aside the gun and activated the intercom. "This is the Captain," he said curtly. "What's the situation?"

_"The Earth Forces are beginning to move out, Captain,"_ Natarle answered._ "Apparently, their resupply is complete, and they seem to be in a hurry to destroy GENESIS."_

"Can't say that I blame them," Kevin murmured. "Well, I _can_ blame them for trying to solve the problem by nuking the PLANTs; so it's time to stop them. Natarle, I'm heading for the hanger. Signal Yzak, Cagalli, and their pilots to join me. You have the Bridge."

_"Aye, sir."_ She paused._ "Any specific instructions, Captain?"_

"Yeah. If you see _Caligula,_ lock on all weapons and contact me. Do not, repeat, do _not_ fire until I give you the signal. Understood?"

_"Of course, Captain,"_ Natarle agreed._ "But may I ask why?"_

"You may." He gave her a feral grin. "I won't be content with merely killing him, you see; first I want to rub his nose in his abject stupidity. I want him to _understand_ how much of a mistake it was to make an enemy of me."

_"Can't argue with that,"_ she decided._ "I don't like the bastard, either. He doesn't like soldiers; and worse, he thinks that he, an industrialist, can do a soldier's job better than a professional. You want him gone, give the word."_

"Glad to hear it." Already heading for the hatch, Kevin paused. "Oh; and sound Level One Battlestations while you're at it."

"Roger that."

Even as the _Dominion_'s Captain raced for the hanger, alarms began to blare.

* * *

On all four ships, pilots were boarding their machines, and crews were rushing to battlestations in preparation for what they all knew would be the last battle. Win or lose, it would all end here. 

_I suppose Snake would call this the Final Conflict, _Mu La Flaga mused, sitting in the Strike's cockpit, powering up Kira's former machine._ Of course, he _is_ a pretty downbeat kinda guy. Or at least he was,_ he corrected himself with a grin,_ before he and the girl finally stopped fooling themselves._

A chime sounded, and he looked up to see Murrue Ramius' image on one of his monitors, waving at him; curious, he doffed his helmet and popped the hatch.

"I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time," Murrue said breathlessly when he appeared.

Mu grinned. "In time for what, silly?" Irrepressible as ever, the Hawk of Endymion gripped her shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be okay, you know."

"I know, but..." She looked away. "If it were to happen to me again, I..."

He frowned, then caught sight of the locket she wore. He caught it in one gloved hand, and nodded in sudden understanding. "So he was a mobile armor pilot?"

Murrue nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "It was... the first Battle of Jachin Due. He was a rookie; good... but not quite good enough."

"Don't worry," Mu said quietly. "I'll be coming right back... with victory in hand."

To emphasize his point, he pulled her close and kissed her.

* * *

Within minutes, all pilots were ready for action, and the launch reports began to ring out, on _Archangel_, _Eternal_, _Kusanagi_, and _Dominion_. 

"Mu La Flaga, Strike, heading out!"

_"Go ahead, Strike,"_ Mir replied from Archangel's Bridge.

"Dearka Elsman, Buster, taking off," Dearka reported, saluting.

"Go ahead, Buster."

Tolle's Wraith was next up. "Tolle Koenig here. Wraith, moving out!"

_"Roger that."_ Mir hesitated._ "Be careful, Tolle."_

"Don't worry, Mir," Max piped up, to Tolle's annoyance. "I'll make sure he doesn't get himself blown up or anything. Or take his machine up against something with ten times his firepower."

While _Kusanagi_ launched her complement of Astrays, _Dominion_ also began deploying mobile suits. "Yzak Joule, launching in Duel!" The ex-ZAFT (and still loyal to the PLANTs) pilot had a very personal reason to be fighting here. It was, after all, his homeland that the Earth Forces were trying to nuke.

"Cagalli Yula Athha, Strike Rouge launching!"

Then it was their commander's turn. This time, Kevin Walker would be flying to the very best of his ability, even beyond his usual skill. For today, he was to be using his neural interface to connect with his machine in a way no other pilot could.

He placed his hand on the interface, jacked in, and contacted the Bridge. "This is Captain Kevin Walker. Stormhawk launching!"

MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke, the machine specifically built with his unique capabilities in mind, catapulted into what could well be its last sortie... and the nuclear demolition device within sat silently, awaiting its intended task.

Then, at last, it was the _Eternal_'s turn to launch its parasites. From its single launch deck, its pair of mobile suits would go into battle. "This is Athrun Zala," Athrun reported. "Justice launching!"

Right behind the red machine came its highly-advanced brother, ZGMF-X10A Freedom. "Kira Yamato, Freedom, let's do it!" Kira shouted, flashing out of the bay.

_"Deploy METEOR Units,"_ Lacus ordered._ "This is our last battle,"_ she added._ "We cannot afford to fail!"_

"You know, tovarisch," Kevin said to no one in particular, "I'm getting really, really tired of nuclear weapons. Blowing myself to atoms with a fusion bomb three years ago was bad enough; now we've gotta make sure to stop, what, _fifty_ nuclear missiles? Or more?" He shook his head. "I'd better be getting hazard pay for this."

"As if your bank account is in trouble," Athrun retorted. "You're one of the richest people alive, and _you're_ worried about hazard pay?"

The super-soldier did not deign to respond to a comment so obviously beneath his notice; instead, he simply assumed position near the Freedom and Justice and flew on with them.

* * *

On _Archangel_'s Bridge, Murrue was considering the tactical situation. "Captain Waltfeld," she said finally. "You, _Kusanagi_, and _Dominion_, deal with GENESIS; we'll handle the Earth Forces fleet." 

_"Got it,"_ Waltfeld acknowledged.

_"Understood,"_ Kisaka confirmed.

Natarle, however, shook her head. _"Sorry, Captain Ramius, but Captain Walker has a different mission in mind for this ship."_

Murrue raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

_"The Captain would like us to go Azrael-hunting," Dominion_'s XO informed her with a predator's smile._ "Having served under that piece of militarily-incompetent human waste, I can sympathize."_

Murrue didn't need much time to consider that. "Very well, Natarle. Good hunting."

"Same to you, Captain."

Natarle's image winked out, and _Archangel_'s Captain leaned back in her chair. _Dominion_, she knew, could well make the difference in this battle; but they owed Kevin Walker a tremendous debt for his actions in this war. The least they could do was aid him in avenging his parents, and completing the private mission he'd begun so long ago. If that was risky, so be it... especially since Murrue had begun to have an inkling of what Kevin had been holding back during the last conference.

_I know he won't do it if he has a choice..._ Murrue thought._ He swore to me that if he could achieve victory _and_ survival, he would, and he's never yet broken an oath._ She swallowed._ Stay safe, Kevin. We may have met mere months ago, but, as you said, we _are_ family. I do _not_ want to lose you anymore than I do Mu._

* * *

As before, the true battle began with the launch of the Peacemaker Force (or at least what was left of it), and the majority of the Three Ships Alliance machines went to head them off. But one pilot had a different idea. 

For Mu La Flaga had sensed a familiar presence. "There's only one person _that_ could be," he muttered; how it was that he could sense his father's clone was an intriguing puzzle, but not exactly relevant just now. "All right, Le Creuset. Today's the day we end this... once and for all."

For his part, Rau Le Creuset was grinning like the maniac he was. He had just launched in ZAFT's newest, most powerful mobile suit: ZGMF-X13A Providence. He, too, thought it time to settle the old score... and he had a lovely little weapon he was greatly looking forward to testing against the great Hawk of Endymion. "It's time, Mu," he whispered. "Today, everything will end... and there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!"

Angling the machine toward his final encounter with Mu, Le Creuset glanced at his rear imagery and smiled broadly. GENESIS' alignment mirror block had now been replaced; it was only a matter of minutes now before the Earth Alliance base at Ptolemaeus Crater was wiped out. And after that, if he'd read Supreme Chairman Zala right, Earth would be targeted.

It would be a fitting end to the whole useless species, a wonderful way to bring everything down with him when his defective body -or combat- claimed his life at last.

By now, everyone was hunting everyone else. Stormhawk had vanished under cover of its hyper jammers almost from the start and had not been seen since, but the Duel, Strike Rouge, Freedom, Justice, Buster, and Wraith were charging after the Moebius units carrying the nukes, and Muruta Azrael and Natarle Badgiruel had begun sniffing after each other.

On _Caligula_'s Bridge, Azrael glared at his displays. "Still no sign of the _Dominion?"_ he demanded.

Sutherland shook his head. "Unfortunately not, Director. The traitorous captain is crafty, to be sure; and if we're correct about who is truly in command now, she won't be easy to catch."

"We don't _need_ to catch her," Azrael said derisively. "If Kevin Onishi is in command, _Dominion_ will come after _us_; and when she does, we'll be waiting... and so will our nukes." He paused, thinking. "Send the Calamity and Raider off to find it," he ordered. "Once they have her location, we'll deal with her ourselves."

"_Dominion_ _does_ outgun us," Sutherland pointed out. "By a rather significant margin. Deliberately enticing her after us could be risky."

Azrael snorted. "She may have more guns, Admiral, but _we_ have nuclear weapons. Even that fancy laminated armor won't stand up to a few multi-megaton missiles. We'll be fine... and those treasonous bastards, _and_ their unnatural commander, will be so much drifting space dust."

In Jachin Due's main control center, a crewman glanced up from his console. "Alignment mirror in place, Your Excellency," he reported. "GENESIS is ready to fire."

"Excellent!" Zala was practically rubbing his hands in glee. "Target the lunar surface," he ordered. "Specifically, Ptolemaeus Crater. It's time to destroy the Earth Alliance's last bastion!"

Crewmen worked quietly at their stations, silently obeying their leader's orders. Then, "Target input complete, Your Excellency. GENESIS is locked on target, and the nuclear cartridge is loaded."

On _Dominion_'s Bridge, Invictus sat bolt upright at the fire-control station. "Commander Badgiruel! GENESIS has completed alignment mirror replacement, and its aim point has reoriented!"

"Confirmed," Flay agreed. "Radiation levels within GENESIS are rising rapidly!"

"What's the target?" Natarle snapped.

"Ptolemaeus Crater, Ma'am," Meryl Steiglitz responded. "And- Commander! We're in the line of fire!"

_Dominion_'s XO reacted instantly. "Left roll sixty degrees! Lower bow pitch angle sixty-five, maximum thrust! Get us out of here!"

"Aye, Ma'am-"

Patrick Zala smiled coldly. "Fire!"

Deep within GENESIS' tremendous bulk, the nuclear triggering cartridge detonated, sending a blast of energy up through the emitter bore, where it struck the alignment mirror, rebounded, and redoubled on GENESIS' main surface itself. Intensified by several orders of magnitude, the stream of coherent gamma rays shot across space, directly toward the Earth Forces' most important base... and through the space where the _Dominion_ was frantically trying to escape the incoming blast.

_Archangel_'s sister ship nearly made it, too. Natarle's orders had come just in time to save the ship from total destruction; but the massive energy release caught the carrier's upper starboard section. Incredibly, Lohengrin One survived, but the catapult just above was savagely mauled, Gottfried One was ripped away, Valiant One simply ceased to exist, the starboard fin was literally vaporized, and half of the ship's anti-ship missile tubes vanished with it, along with two engines.

One of _Dominion_'s few surviving pilots, Mark Golanti, had just enough time to scream before the stream of gamma rays reached his Strike Dagger; it ended with sickening suddenness.

Even as the gargantuan beam continued on to wipe away the incoming Earth Forces reinforcements, and the lunar base, alarms blared all over the _Dominion_. "Damage report!" Natarle shouted, coughing on smoke. "How bad are we hit?"

"We've lost Gottfried One and Valiant One, Ma'am," Invictus managed. "Starboard catapult went with them, and so did a dozen missile tubes and half our radar array. Engines One and Two are gone, too." He coughed. "Lohengrin One's gunnery crew does not respond, Commander; looks like local control took a radiation surge." The assassin looked up, anguished. "I don't think anybody made it out of there alive, Ma'am."

"Can we still fight?" she demanded.

"Yes, Ma'am. We still have a dozen anti-ship tubes, the Helldarts, Lohengrin One and the port armament; but I wouldn't care to put us through an extended engagement, Commander."

"Concur," Steiglitz interjected. "With two engines gone, an arthritic tortoise could outrun us." She shook her head. "Ma'am, if we're going to get _Caligula_, we'd better-"

The helmsman broke off so suddenly Natarle looked at her in concern. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Commander, there's an _Agamemnon_ directly ahead," Steiglitz told her. "I think it's..."

"Incoming transmission, Ma'am," Flay reported. "From the _Agamemnon_; and there are a number of mobile armors closing."

"Put it through," Natarle ordered. She had a feeling she knew who was calling; especially with the sudden arrival of mobile armors. "And patch Captain Walker into the circuit."

"Yes, Ma'am."

As expected, Muruta Azrael's face appeared on the monitor. _"Well, well, Ms. Captain," _he said contemptuously. _"Went and got your ship all shot up by that thing, did you?"_

"What's it to you, Director Azrael?" she snapped. "Unless you're intending to try to destroy us while we're vulnerable."

The terrorist leader shook his head. _"Not necessarily, Ms. Captain. I thought I'd off you a deal: you help us blow up GENESIS, or the Peacemaker Force blows you into radioactive dust. What'll it be?"_

Natarle grimaced. "You realize I have to discuss this with the Captain before I can give you an answer," she said, stalling.

_"Oh, of course; mustn't keep the great, unnatural Kevin Walker out of the loop, eh?"_ Azrael ostentatiously checked his watch._ "You have... five minutes, Commander, in which to discuss it. If I don't have an answer by then, or if it's negative, I'll blow you out of space. Fair enough?"_

She gestured sharply at Flay, who muted Azrael's line; then turned to a secondary screen. "Captain...?"

Kevin did not bother replying verbally. Instead, Stormhawk suddenly shimmered into view, buster rifles in hand; and its intent was clearly malevolent. Through his neural link, he aimed the powerful weapons at the oncoming so-called "Peacemaker Force", and opened fire.

Azrael watched, stunned and furious, as the force he'd intended to finally end that uppity woman's life was itself annihilated by the Coordinator he hated most. "You-!"

Kevin Walker's helmeted visage appeared on the screens of both the _Dominion_ and the _Caligula._ _"Muruta Azrael,"_ he began in a voice like frozen helium. _"I've waited a long time for this day. Three and a half years ago, you ordered my parents murdered; and your pet intelligence agent Alex Jackson was only too happy to comply. I've already killed CARDINAL, Director; that just leaves you to deal with."_ He paused. "Dominion_, lock all remaining weapons on _Caligula," he ordered. Then the super-soldier directed his attention back to the morbidly fascinated, absolutely terrified Azrael. _"I wish, more than anything else, that I could be aboard to kill you personally, Azrael, but unfortunately I have a job to do. So I'll settle for allowing other people you used and betrayed to do the deed."_

Before Azrael or his tame admiral William Sutherland could get out so much as a coherent sentence, the black-suited young man raised his mechanical hand, and clenched it into a fist.

Azrael had one fleeting instant to realize just how abysmally stupid he had been to make Baron Kevin Onishi his enemy, before one Gottfried Mk. 71 dual high-energy beam cannon, one Valiant Mk. VIII linear cannon, and two Lohengrin positron cannons opened fire simultaneously, blowing _Caligula_ and all aboard her to plasma.

The full salvo of missiles that arrived mere moments later served only to illuminate the cloud that had once been a fighting ship.

* * *

Even as Muruta Azrael died, Mu La Flaga was racing to meet another man on Kevin Walker's hit list. He was absolutely determined to end this, once and for all. 

When the Strike came into the Providence's view, Le Creuset laughed. "Ah, there you are, Mu! I wondered when you were going to get here. Shall we battle one last time?"

"Is this what you were hoping for, you jackal?" Mu demanded. His beam rifle was out, and opened fire on the new ZAFT machine. "Is GENESIS what you had in mind all along?"

"You shouldn't blame me!" The madman deployed the Providence's most interesting feature: the DRAGOON System, a large number of mobile laser emitters inspired by the Moebius Zero's wired gunbarrels. "This is mankind's dream!" Le Creuset went on as his weapons opened fire on the Strike. "Mankind's desire! _Mankind's destiny!_ To be the strongest, to go the farthest, to climb the highest!"

"All of this is a result of your twisted logic!" Mu snarled, frantically weaving in and out of multitude of lasers being fired upon his relatively outdated machine. "I won't let you make things worse!"

"But you're too late, Mu," Le Creuset replied, adding fire from his rifle and the multifunction apparatus on his left arm. "You see, _I'm_ the product of all this; _that's_ how I know. I know that humanity will become extinct, swallowed by the darkness it's created."

"Not if I can help it!" With the same extraordinary powers of spatial awareness that had enabled him to use wired gunbarrels to such lethal effect, Mu managed to dodge every shot so far fired at him. But even he knew that if this kept up, it was only a matter of time before the law of averages caught up with him.

* * *

_Dominion_'s three remaining Dagger pilots were grouped together, hoping that numbers would help keep them alive; they were also staying well away from GENESIS' line of fire, lest their friend Mark Golanti's fate befall them, as well. 

"This is nuts," Zack Malone muttered to his comrades. "This has gotta be the craziest battle in this whole freakin' war."

"At least we're not _fighting _the _Archangel_ and company this time," Ron Bishop reminded him. "Commander La Flaga just missed blasting me back at Mendel; if Bob hadn't gotten in the way, I wouldn't be here."

"This time, though, we've got the Captain on our side," Karen Sarnac commented. She paused, blasting at a GINN with her beam rifle; the machine exploded in a most satisfactory manner. "One down. Anyway, even if we die, Captain Walker will make sure our deaths aren't in vain."

Her fellows agreed. Some of their friends had taken Walker up on his offer of transport out, but _they_ trusted their Captain. He hadn't killed anyone unnecessarily, during his takeover, and the honesty of the Fencing Prince was questioned only by the terminally paranoid. They believed his tale of horror, and fought now for a peace _without_ superweapons.

But to fight for peace does not always mean to _live_ for it.

"Wha? Guys, look out! Incoming GuAIZ's-" Zack's voice died as a powerful beam blasted through his lightly-armored Dagger like it didn't exist.

"Zack!" Karen charged after her friend's killer, and managed to get her beam saber into its cockpit before another GuAIZ slashed its beam claws through her back, and she, too, exploded.

_"No!"_ Ron Bishop fired one shot, then tried to retreat; but the ZAFT forces showed no mercy. A claw ripped through his Dagger's torso, and he was gone.

Kevin Walker, though he had spent most of the battle under cloak, watching and waiting for several opportunities which had not yet arrived, had kept a facet of his attention on his own troops, and his eyes froze with utter fury as he saw the last of his mass-produced units wiped out. "You _devils!"_

Behind his eyes, a jade seed burst.

Stormhawk burst out from hiding, buster rifles in hand. "I'll kill you," Kevin whispered (when he kept control at all in the Berserker state, it was in a very calm way), and opened fire on the first GuAIZ.

The azure blast caught it in the chest, causing the machine to go up like a moth caught in the flame, and his partner died a moment later in the same manner.

The GuAIZ's attempted to fight back against this impossible machine, but its pilot seemed to know what they were going to do before they did (the Zero System gave him a good idea of the next attack, and his empathic sense told him their intent to fire), and avoided their attacks with contemptuous ease. And then he was among them, using a buster rifle in his left hand and a beam saber in his right.

One was sliced in half, while his fellow was shredded by shoulder-mounted machine cannons; then came the coup de grace: saber sheathed, both buster rifles came together and locked, and the azure column blazed out like the fiery sword of an avenging angel.

With one mighty blow, Stormhawk smote its enemies from the heavens, and vanished into cloak once again.

_Soon..._ Kevin Walker thought._ Soon, this will be over, and no more will be killed by ZAFT!_

* * *

Meanwhile, Orga Sabnak, Shani Andras, and Clotho Buer were going out of their minds. Literally. 

With Azrael and his medical personnel gone, the three biological CPUs could no longer obtain gamma glipheptin, and withdrawal had hit them all during this battle. It had gone so far that the pain had driven them insane; now they were striking out at everything in range.

Which was what made Cagalli very, very angry. The Astray pilots off the _Kusanagi_ -friends, who had survived the battles of Orb _and_ Mendel- were being slaughtered by the three insane pilots. And this triggered, at last, the latent powers of the Berserker that lay within her.

"Athrun," she called, voice very steady, "you and Kira keep on those nukes. I've got to take care of something."

"Right," Athrun acknowledged; he had no idea at all what was going on, or that Cagalli had undergone the change he himself -and, he suspected, Kevin and Kira- had, but he understood her objective.

Kira and Kevin, on the other hand, knew precisely what had occurred; Kira, through the bond all twins seemed to share, and Kevin, resonating along their own link. Kira merely nodded to himself in understanding, but the Snake smiled coldly. It seemed that his girlfriend, too, was quite capable of vengeance when the situation called for it.

"Murderers!" Cagalli snarled. She did not have the mobile suit experience of her brother or her boyfriend, but she _was_ better than the Astray pilots, who themselves had a pronounced talent for dealing with the Earth Alliance's puny Strike Daggers. As a result, she blew right through them like they weren't even there, intent upon reaching the first real target in range; which just happened to be the Forbidden, with the crazed Shani Andras in the cockpit.

Crazed or not, he apparently wasn't expecting the sudden attack, and just barely managed to get his deflectors positioned in time to defeat the first beams that came at him. "What the- You... you... you're gonna die!"

Twitching uncontrollably, the maniac was still able to control his machine, and he powered up his plasma cannon, simultaneously charging the electromagnetic field used to guide it. When all was ready, he opened fire, spewing plasma as fast as the weapon was capable of.

Startled in turn, her suddenly-revealed Berserker talents enabled Cagalli to boost out of the paths of the first few barrages, but with the tracking capabilities, it was only a matter of time. Indeed, the next shot was clearly going to connect...

But it was intercepted short of its target by the Duel's shield. "I don't think so!" Yzak snarled, bringing his own beam rifle to bear. "It's time to end this!"

"You got it!" Dearka's Buster joined the blasting at the Forbidden's deflectors, which could not reflect projectile weapons, with his anti-armor shotgun. "Cagalli, Yzak! Go for it!"

They complied, the Strike Rouge providing covering fire while the Duel charged in. "I've got you this time!" the white-haired pilot yelled, drawing a beam saber.

"No way!" Shani triggered his plasma cannon again, this time getting in a clean shot, which swallowed up the incoming machine. "Take that, you- What the?"

"Raaaarghhhh!" The Duel emerged from the energy cloud, shield and assault shroud gone but otherwise intact... and now it had both beam sabers in hand. With its left, Yzak sliced up the Forbidden's scythe, and with its right, he stabbed deep into the machine's torso. Right into its cockpit, in fact.

Shani never even had a chance to scream as the blade of pure energy stabbed through him. The lifeless, powerless hulk drifted backwards for a moment, then exploded spectacularly.

"Thanks for the backup, Yzak," Cagalli said evenly, still unfazed. "I'll handle Calamity."

"Go for it," Yzak acknowledged. "Dearka, let's go find the Raider. As long as those guys are still around, they'll make killing the nukes a lot harder."

"Roger that."

While the pair of G-weapons pealed off, Cagalli was already searching for her next target, and speaking with the _Dominion_'s deck crew. "_Dominion_, send me the Launcher Striker," she ordered. "I need some heavier firepower out here."

"Understood, Ma'am. We've taken some bad hits, but the port catapult is still operational. It'll be right there."

"Good." Her cold amber eyes narrowed. "You'll pay for this," Cagalli promised. "_All_ of you."

* * *

Mu was becoming increasingly annoyed with Le Creuset; annoyed, and more than a little nervous. The madman's new machine was simply too good, especially with that accursed DRAGOON system. 

It had been only a matter of time before one of the multitude of lasers connected, and one finally did, taking the Strike's beam rifle into oblivion. "You can't win, Mu," Le Creuset taunted. "After all, the child can never hope to outshine the parent!"

"You're _not_ my father!" Mu snarled. "You're just a jackal, a defective creation that shouldn't have been allowed to exist!" He snatched out a beam saber, and rushed straight in. "Now you'll pay for what you've unleashed!"

Le Creuset laughed insanely, igniting a saber of his own. "There's nothing that can be done to stop the world's destruction now, Mu! I have seen to that! GENESIS will wipe out all!"

The sabers collided, and then the Providence's blade drew back, pivoted, and sliced through the Strike's right arm. Forced into retreat, Mu limped away, chased by a scattering of fire from the remote laser emitters. "I'll get you next time, Le Creuset!" he promised.

"There won't _be_ a next time, Mu!" Two more lasers fired, one the Strike was battered yet again. Its left leg spun off into the eternal emptiness, and something exploded in the cockpit as a blast sliced across the machine's torso.

"Urgh!" The explosion had wounded Mu, but his nemesis had evidently decided he was out of the fight, and let him retreat. "_Archangel_," he rasped. "Get... get ready for me. I need a clear deck, now."

_"Understood,"_ Murrue replied instantly._ "And Le Creuset?"_

"He got away," the pilot hissed. "But I'll get him next time. How are you doing?"

_"We seem to be under attack,"_ she said, voice far more calm than she felt; and an explosion in the background punctuated her words._ "We've got two _Agamemnons_ closing, flanked by a couple of 130-meters and at least one nuclear-equipped mobile armor." _Another_ boom _in the background._ "We just lost starboard weapons and our starboard fin; must have been secondary explosions. Now we match the _Dominion."

Mu cursed, seeing for himself the fire being spewed in the _Archangel_'s direction. But even were he in range, he could nothing; not in the shape he and his machine were in. "Is _anyone_ in a position to help?"

The answer came in the form of a pair of positron shots that engulfed the _Agamemnons_ in antimatter fury, followed by a dual high-energy beam and a linear cannon shot, which took out that 130-meter ships; the mobile armors promptly followed their motherships into the netherworld, courtesy of a missile barrage.

_"Can we be of assistance?"_ Natarle queried._ "You seem to be in a little trouble, Captain Ramius."_

_"We were,"_ Murrue acknowledged gratefully._ "Thanks, Natarle; we owe you one."_

_"Then your crew buys the beer," Dominion_'s exec said dryly.

Mu grinned; it appeared Snake and his clone were having a bad influence on "Lieutenant Spit and Polish". Before those two gained control of the _Dominion_, Natarle Badgiruel would never have made such a comment.

But he had other things to worry about. "Kira," he called, keying his radio, "I'm out of the fight, but Le Creuset is still out there. Can you do anything about that lunatic?"

_"I can try,"_ Kira replied instantly._ "We've just about gotten all the nukes; I'm on my way."_

"Thanks."

* * *

By this time, the Launcher Striker pack had caught up with the Strike Rouge, and Cagalli was now hunting the Calamity, death in her heart. _You've killed so many of my friends, you conquered my homeland... today I'll end it all!_

She didn't find it, though; _it_ found _her_. "I'm gonna get you!" Orga shrieked. "I'm gonna get _all_ of you!" As crazed as his fellows by gamma glipheptin-withdrawal, he began firing all over the place, catching ZAFT and Earth Alliance units alike in his aimless barrage.

Cagalli dodged easily to one side, then under, as the fire turned toward her. "I won't let you!" She lifted the Agni hyper-impulse cannon. "You've hurt so many people, done so much wrong... you're dead!"

Orga Sabnak, one of the biological CPUs with abilities supposedly equal to Coordinators, had easily defeated almost every enemy he'd faced, and had even come close to taking out the Freedom itself. But today, gripped by drug withdrawal and faced with the full fury of a Berserker Coordinator, he didn't stand a chance.

Cagalli fired exactly twice, first blowing off his Schlag beam cannons and following up by putting a blast right through his cockpit. Like Shani, he never knew what hit him.

_Now,_ she thought,_ those pilots are avenged. And maybe now I understand Kevin a little better..._

"Good work, tovarisch," Kevin congratulated, his Stormhawk appearing from nowhere. "Now the only effective Earth Forces machine left is Raider, and he can wait. Right now, we've got a little job to do."

"GENESIS, right?"

"Yeah," Athrun broke in. "And our best bet is to enter Jachin Due itself; either we stop my father before he can even begin the next firing sequence, or we wreck the computers afterward."

"Agreed," Kevin concurred. "But you two stay out of this; I can handle it on my own."

"Absolutely not," Cagalli instantly flared. "You're not going into there without _me_, Kevin. After all that's happened, I'm not letting you out of my sight." _You've gotten yourself killed too many times._

"And don't even think of excluding _me_, either," the Justice's pilot agreed. "Like it or not, that's my _father_ in there; whatever happens, I'll be there to see it."

Kevin sighed, and muttered something impolite in Russian. "All right, if you're both that crazy, follow me in; but I'm taking point, understand?" Without waiting for a reply, he switched to a general frequency. "Murrue, Natarle, we're going in. Cover us."

_"Roger that, Snake,"_ Murrue answered.

_"Understood, Captain,"_ Natarle replied._ "Good luck."_

"Thanks; we'll probably need it."

* * *

_We can still do this,_ Kevin thought, watching Jachin Due approach through the Stormhawk's eyes._ There's still a chance I'll make it through this... I hope. Either way, Patrick Zala is a dead man._

The three machines were powering toward the massive asteroid fortress at their best speed. Stormhawk's wings were fully spread, and the Strike Rouge rode atop the Justice's subflight unit (Athrun had already disengaged his METEOR Unit, to facilitate entry into Jachin).

"We're almost there," Athrun commented. "Kevin, I don't suppose you've got any access codes buried in your head, do you?"

Kevin shook his head. "Not to my knowledge, and even if I did, it'd be hopelessly out of date. No, we'll just-" He broke off suddenly, as his empathic sense detected a familiar presence. Familiar... and _not_ welcome. "Scatter!" he shouted, following his own advice by wrenching around in a drastic course change.

A change which came a moment too late; the remote lasers mostly missed, but a pair blew away his shield, and a third bit at his left leg. "I won't allow you to interfere," Le Creuset said, firing away at the super-soldier's machine. "We have come this far, this close to the end, and nothing can be allowed to disrupt it!"

"Back off, Le Creuset!" Replacing the shield with one buster rifle, Kevin turned his -and, by extension, Stormhawk's- head to look at his comrades. "Cagalli, Athrun, keep going! I'll keep this maniac busy!"

"No!" Cagalli instantly replied. "I'm not letting you take him on by yourself-"

"He's right," Athrun interrupted. "This mission _has_ to succeed, Cagalli. You _know_ that."

"But-"

He ended the discussion by physically grabbing the Strike Rouge and dragging it along with him. "Be careful, Kevin!"

"No worries," Kevin grunted, spinning like a top in an effort avoid the DRAGOON System. "Just go, and don't let anything stop you."

"Impressive," Le Creuset acknowledged, watching the evasive maneuvers even as he tried to negate them. "You've learned much since your early battles, Kevin Walker. At the start of this war, you never would have been able to survive this long."

"I'm just full of surprises," Snake said through gritted teeth. "You won't stop me now, Le Creuset. I can't allow it!" He twisted away from yet another laser blast, and this time managed to get a bead on its emitter; with a single shot from his right-hand rifle, he blew it to dust bunnies.

"You're truly the product of Doctor Hibiki and your mad uncle," Rau taunted. "All the skills of the monster they sought to create. You are someone who should not have been allowed to exist, boy!" He laughed insanely as another of his weapons succeeded in blowing away one of his adversary's powerful rifles.

"Yeah, well, tough luck." Kevin flipped sideways, continuing the engagement with his left-hand weapon. "I'm here, and there's no way to undo it, now is there?"

"Perhaps not. But surely you understand the perverse nature of your cursed abilities? Of how your already superhuman skill was enhanced still further by that madman Oracle?" Le Creuset grinned maniacally, gleefully watching his many, many lasers pound away at the Stormhawk; the next hit shot away the machine's right leg. "I thought you desired your own death! I thought you knew that other people would never accept your existence!"

"Wrong tactic," the younger, saner pilot replied tightly, eyes jade ice. "The only person who matters changed my mind, you lunatic; all that matters now is how I _use_ my power!"

"Nonsense! In your heart, you too desire this, don't you? An end to this meaningless existence?"

"In your dreams, bastard! And I won't forget, or forgive, what your 'casual suggestion' produced, three years ago!" The defiant tone turned to quiet cursing as Kevin realized just how badly outmatched he was. He was Le Creuset's equal or superior in terms of skill, but like Mu, the web of remotely-deployed lasers was eating away at him. Even as he tried to dodge, his left arm was blow away, and his right wing. He was slowly being dismembered, and he couldn't afford it.

"This is the end for you, Cain!" Le Creuset raised his beam rifle and began to squeeze the trigger ever so slowly. "The product of the world's greatest madmen will finally be-"

A beam struck the Providence squarely in the back. _"Diiiieeee!"_ Kira shouted, rushing in with his Freedom. "It's time for this to _end!"_

Kevin shook his head like a punch-drunk fighter. "Kira? What are you..."

"Get going, Kevin," Kira told him. "You can still move, right? So hurry and stop GENESIS before it's too late!"

Stormhawk's remaining hand flipped him a salute. "On it, tovarisch. Be careful; this guy's good, and his new machine is murder."

His friend didn't take the time to reply. "Now we'll finish this, Le Creuset," he said coldly, eyes filled with Berserker clarity. "I won't let you destroy everything we've worked for!"

"You again," Le Creuset sighed. "This time, boy, you're right. It ends... but _you_ will be the first to die!"

* * *

Kevin caught up with Athrun and Cagalli inside Jachin Due, after leaving his badly battered machine in a nearby hanger. 

"Kevin!" Cagalli caught his arm the instant she realized he'd arrived. "Are you okay?"

Snake shrugged it off. "I'm fine, really; Kira's handling Le Creuset now." At Athrun's look of concern, he managed a quick smile. "Don't worry so much, tovarisch; I strongly suspect Kira is to pilots what I am to ground troops: the deadliest in history. He'll be fine." He gripped the plasma rifle he had, as always, brought with him. "So how far to the control room?"

Athrun thought for a moment. "It should be just beyond that next hatch," he said momentarily. "But it's locked, so it'll take a minute to get through."

"Forget that," Kevin said calmly. "I don't think we have time to try the civilized method. Instead..."

He slung his rifle and reached out to grip the heavy door in both powerful arms; one cybernetically-augmented flesh and bone, the other perfectly-designed, powerful metal.

On the other side of the door, Patrick Zala sensed total victory was imminent. "What's the status of GENESIS?" he demanded. "Is it ready to fire again?"

"Yes, sir. New alignment mirror is in place; entering firing range soon. What target, Your Excellency?"

"Earth, North American continent, the Atlantic Federation capitol, Washington," Zala answered, savoring every word. "Fire as soon as it's in range; our final victory over the Naturals is-"

He never completed the sentence, for the utter shock of seeing the heavy alloy hatch to the control room ripped aside caught everyone off-guard. The massive piece of metal was being torn aside like it was made of aluminum foil, and Zala's brain worked furiously. _That shouldn't be possible. No human being can do that... except for one... and he's sworn to kill me... if he's still alive..._

His racing thoughts came to a stop when the black-suited figure stepped into the room, trailed by one pilot in an Orb flight suit and another in ZAFT top gun red. "Supreme Council Chairman Patrick Zala," the avatar of the Grim Reaper said coldly.

"Baron Kevin Onishi," Zala replied, voice equally cold. "Come to complete your treason, have you? Well, it's too late!" He pointed gloatingly at a control console which now had a countdown displayed on it. "When Jachin self-destructs, GENESIS will fire, and this war will be over at last!"

Snake gave it a cursory glance. "I see," he said softly, then turned his attention back to his target. "Well, then, Chairman, I believe we have some unfinished business to discuss." The rifle came up. "As they say, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth... life for a life."

"Kevin, wait..." Athrun began.

"Quiet, Athrun," he said simply. "You knew this day would come. You yourself said 'good hunting'; and I would have done it anyway."

"So now you'll kill me?" Zala snorted. "It won't be that easy, traitor!" Without warning, he pulled out a machine pistol and opened fire on the cybernetic soldier, emptying the entire magazine... to exactly no effect.

The super-soldier's EM field had actually worked this time, and none of the bullets came anywhere near him. "That was foolish, Chairman," he said coolly. "But it doesn't matter anymore." Kevin leveled the plasma rifle at the man who was responsible for so much of his misery. "I have a date with a nuclear bomb, Chairman, which I probably won't survive," he went on, ignoring Cagalli's sharp intake of breath. "But I wanted to make sure you died first." His finger tightened on the trigger. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

Before another word could be said, a bolt with the power of the sun itself lashed out and touched its target, leaving him not even enough time to scream.

Before Athrun's horrified, yet understanding eyes, a cloud of ash once called Supreme Council Chairman Patrick Zala drifted apart.

* * *

Athrun Zala, oblivious to Cagalli and Kevin rushing over to the computers, stared at the cloud that had been his father. _F-father...? It... it can't be..._

Ever since a dark, lonely night on a deserted island in the Indian Ocean, Athrun had known his then-enemy Kevin had every intention of killing his father. At the time, he hadn't believed that Patrick Zala was truly responsible for the horrific transformation Snake had undergone, but it had struck a chord, somehow, and when next he met his father, he'd confronted him about it... carefully.

That was when he knew for sure that it _was_ true, and when his trust in his father slowly began to die. And the next time they spoke of it, Athrun had actually told Kevin "good hunting", and thought he was prepared, especially after his own father shot him.

But now he looked at the drifting ash and realized nothing could truly have prepared him for what had just occurred. For all that they had become enemies, Patrick Zala was still Athrun Zala's _father_. Blood truly was thicker than water, and now, facing his father's scorched remains, Athrun wanted to scream at Kevin, demand why he had just done this thing... but he couldn't.

Like Kevin had said long before, Patrick Zala's life was forfeit; forfeit from the day he authorized Project ABADDON, from the day he ordered the kidnapping of Kevin Onishi. Whether he knew of the brainwashing and torture or not, in the end it was still his responsibility, the debt _he_ owed to the Destroyers.

And it was Kevin Walker, alias Hydra, alias Cain, who had the right to collect on that debt.

Athrun gradually became aware of the tense conversation going on at the computers. "Isn't there any way we can stop it?" Cagalli was asking.

Kevin hit keys at a pace no Natural, and few Coordinators, could have comprehended. "I don't think so," he replied, still typing. "I think the process is too far along to be canceled."

"What about neural interfacing? I'm sure it isn't designed to counter that..."

"Wrong," he contradicted. He brought up a subroutine. "This system must have been designed after they learned of my survival; it's got countermeasures that could literally fry my brain. Besides, my equipment is woefully outdated. The _Archangel_ was one thing; I helped design the ship. But this stuff... No, it's no good."

"So we'll have to destroy GENESIS itself," Athrun put in; he'd pushed the matter of his father's death out of his mind for the time being. Later there would be time to grieve, but not now. "But how do we do that?"

Kevin was already heading back the way they'd come. "Only one option, really. I think _Eternal_ and _Kusanagi_ already tried shooting it, and it didn't work; so we'll have to take it out from the inside."

Athrun thought furiously. "If we bring the Justice in, abandon it, and detonate the nuclear engine-"

"Physically impossible," Snake cut him off. "I don't know how much you know about nuclear fission powerplants, Athrun, but trust me: trying to make a fission plant go supercritical would violate the laws of physics."

They were nearly at the hanger now. "But what does that leave?" Cagalli demanded. "If we can't use a nuke, then..."

Kevin stopped inside the hanger, near the Stormhawk. "You're not thinking, tovarisch," he said gently. "Or maybe you just don't _want_ to see it. I didn't say we couldn't use a nuke, I just said that the nuclear plants can't go supercritical. That means we need a genuine nuclear _weapon_... and we just happen to have one."

"No, Kevin, don't," Athrun pleaded, seeing where this was going. "You can't just..."

"Yes, I can." He climbed into the cockpit of his battered machine, and switched over to radio communication. "If GENESIS fires, most of humanity will be wiped out. Whereas if it's destroyed, the war will be effectively over. So tell me something, Athrun: isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth _dying_ for?"

The trio of machines began moving again, this time heading out of the doomed fortress. "Maybe it is," Athrun conceded. "But why does it have to be you? Haven't you given enough in this war? You've been tortured, brainwashed, memory-wiped, cybernetically enhanced, and even partially dismembered. How much more do you have to give?"

"Whatever it takes, tovarisch." Kevin began thinking then of how to stop his friend -and his girlfriend- from following him to his death. He had to block their way somehow... and he remembered he still had one plasma cannon left.

"But why _you?"_ Cagalli burst out. "You always told me you didn't _care_ about the rest of the world, that only your _friends_ mattered to you. So why-?"

"That's true," Kevin acknowledged. "But what kind of a world will you live in if GENESIS isn't stopped? Let's face it, Cagalli, right now my machine has the only weapon that can stop that abomination from firing. _That_ means that I'm the only one who can do a thing about it, and I will, even if it means my death."

"But-" There were tears in her eyes as she contemplated what the young man she had known literally all her life proposed to do. "I already lost you once. You can't _do_ this to me!"

"I'm sorry, tovarisch. But I have no choice." Now they were out of Jachin, and the plasma cannon deployed. It fired a blast into one of the access hatches leading into GENESIS, and Stormhawk slipped neatly into the tunnel. Now he had another problem, since it occurred to him that blocking their way would also block off his own only possible avenue of escape. He owed it to Cagalli to at least try, after all. "Athrun," he said finally, "get her out of here."

"Kevin-" Athrun protested.

_"Now,_ Athrun," Kevin snapped. "That is a direct order."

From anyone else, or in even a slightly different tone, Athrun would have disregarded the command. But Kevin Walker was who he was, the former leader of the Walker team, and he had apparently rediscovered the "command voice" which would make a corpse get up and do his bidding.

More, he realized that there was no longer any chance of stopping the super-soldier; all they could do now was die with him, and Athrun somehow thought Kira would react very badly to losing his sister _and_ both surrogate brothers. "Okay, Kevin," he said finally, a lump in his throat. "But you be careful, okay? At least _try_ to get out alive."

"You got it, tovarisch." Kevin smiled oddly, the look of a man knowing he is going to his grave. "Just get her out."

_"No!"_ Cagalli redoubled her efforts to catch up, pouring every once of power she could into her engines._ I can't let you go! I can't!_

Then the Justice grabbed hold of the Strike Rouge, its superior thrust succeeding in halting her headlong plunge and even, slowly, pulling her back. "No, Cagalli," Athrun said quietly. "We can't do anything more for him now."

"But-"

"I'm sorry, tovarisch," Kevin said gently. "I love you." He switched frequencies, noticing at the same time that he was nearly at the target point. "Hey, Kira?"

"Yeah?" Kira managed; he was in a difficult spot, fighting the Providence while simultaneously listening in on the argument taking place. "What is it?"

Kevin hit controls on his instrument panel, releasing the N-jammer canceler from his machine and arming the nuclear demolition device. "Promise me something, Kira." He ejected the charge, noting idly that the five minute-count (which was the maximum time delay the charge would accept) had begun. "I don't think I'm gonna be around much longer, so you'll have to take care of your sister for me, okay? That means you need to survive this. Don't let that bastard kill you, got it?"

"I got it, Kevin," Kira acknowledged, swallowing hard. "I'll take care of her, Kevin; and Lacus and Murrue, too." The close relationship between Kevin and Murrue was hardly secret. "I promise."

"Thanks."

"How touching," Le Creuset mocked. "Now the abomination goes to his doom, and yet you still try so hard to dissuade him? Cain has courage, I'll grant him that. But he cannot be allowed to interfere!" Providence broke off its attack on the Freedom and boosted off toward GENESIS, intent on stopping the nuclear attack.

That was when a hyper-impulse sniper shot hit him in the back. "I don't think so!" Dearka snarled. "You'll have to get past me, first!"

"Dearka, no," Kevin protested. "He can't get here in time, anyway. Don't..."

"Forget it, Kevin," the Buster's pilot replied, using the super-soldier's given name for the first time. "You're doing your part; now shut up and let me do mine!" _You've given more than anyone else in this war; the least we can do is make your final sacrifice _mean_ something!_

"Fine," the doomed pilot relented, even as the Providence began its attack. "Just make sure you stay out of the blast radius, or you'll glow in the dark."

"So you, too, have joined them, Dearka Elsman?" Le Creuset seemed to find the whole idea amusing. "Not that it matters. It is too late for GENESIS to be stopped!"

"We'll see about that," Dearka replied. Dodging as rapidly as the relatively-cumbersome Buster was capable of, he fired his hyper-impulse sniper rifle and his missiles, trying to overwhelm the enemy machine.

Providence, however, was the machine which had knocked Mu La Flaga's Strike out of the fight, and nearly destroyed Kevin Walker's Stormhawk. The Buster was nowhere near as maneuverable as either of them, and, good as he was, Dearka was not the equal of Kevin or Mu... or Rau Le Creuset.

Providence did not even bother with its beam rifle. In this case, the DRAGOON System was quite sufficient, and GAT-X103 Buster proceeded to be hammered.

"This isn't good," Dearka muttered, beams flashing all around him; to add insult to injury, Le Creuset evidently thought so little of him that he wasn't even sticking around to watch. "Come back here, you bastard!"

Chunks of armor were blown into space; both missile pods were slagged. His left foot turned to superheated steam, and another blast blew off the Buster's head. His Phase-shift went down, leaving him a sitting duck.

Something exploded in the cockpit, and Dearka cursed, feeling shards of his visor break off and cut him, reopening the scar Mir had given him months earlier. "This _really_ isn't- uh oh." Through his crippled displays, he saw the last enemy G-weapon, the Raider, approaching; Dearka had a pretty good idea that its pilot had gone just as nuts as his fellows.

Clotho laughed crazily. "I'm gonna... I'm gonna...!"

"Guess this is it..." Dearka whispered, preparing himself for death as the Raider's head-mounted hyper-impulse cannon began to charge. "Well, it was fun..." _Sorry, Mir, Max, everybody..._ The glow reached a blinding height, and the beam lanced out...

...but never connected. "Dearka!" Yzak shouted, shoving the Buster out of the way with his own machine. "You bastard! I'm not gonna let you do this!"

Clotho couldn't care less; he was beyond caring about anything except the pain. "Time... time to... time to die!"

"No way!" Yzak raised his beam rifle, and cursed when it was blown away before he could get off so much as a single shot.

That left him without much in the way of options; without the assault shroud, Duel was very lightly armed. While the Raider prepared another hyper-impulse shot, he had only his beam sabers and Igelstellungs left. Unless...

"Give me that gun!" Yzak demanded, snatching the Buster's hyper-impulse sniper rifle. He leveled the enormous weapon, and fired at the same instant as Clotho. "You're not beating _me!"_

Clotho's beam did nothing more than take a chunk out of the Duel's shoulder and knock down its Phase-shift. Yzak's, on the other hand, triggered a massive chain reaction within the Raider, causing it to expand very rapidly, and catastrophically, into many, many pieces, mere moments after being hit.

* * *

By now, most of theFour Ships Alliance personnel had retreated; the only machines that remained actively engaged were the Freedom, Justice, Strike Rouge... and Stormhawk. 

The clock was ticking, and Kira knew he had very little time remaining in which to defeat Le Creuset. Their battle had taken them so close to GENESIS that the odds were very good they'd both be immolated when Kevin's nuke went off. Le Creuset himself did not care, but Kira had a distinct preference for staying alive.

Kevin, however... He was on his way out of GENESIS, but his machine was badly maimed. He had a fraction of the speed ordinarily available to him, and ejecting would be worse than useless. In less than five minutes, he knew, he would be a corpse.

That fact gave added fuel to the fire in Kira's heart as he battled Le Creuset. "_You're _the one responsible for this!" he shouted. _"It's all your fault!"_ Using the gigantic beam swords in his METEOR Unit, he tried repeatedly to slice the Providence in half.

"You're nothing more than an irritant, a pest!" the madman responded; one of his remote lasers blew the Freedom's starboard weapon arm to debris. "You're something that shouldn't have been allowed to exist, boy!"

"Ridiculous! I'm not defined by my abilities alone!" Cursing silently as his other weapon arm vanished, Kira began firing volleys of missiles. "All that matters is who I am now!"

"And just who do you think is going to believe that, boy? Nobody will! They'll see what you are, the abilities that you have, and they will become envious! They'll want to become just like you!" Le Creuset laughed, another round of fire completely destroying the remnants of the METEOR Unit. "And that will lead to hate, to the desire to annihilate you!"

"You're crazy! And so's your logic!" METEOR gone, Kira was by no means helpless. He drew a beam saber with one hand, holding his shield in the other, and began using both to deflect laser beams; in one case, the deflected shot destroyed its own emitter.

It was nearing a fair fight now, with nearly half of the DRAGOON System's remote laser units blown to dust bunnies. But Providence was still a lethal threat, with its powerful rifle and multifunction left arm unit. "Why do you seek to extend your suffering?" Le Creuset questioned, sounding sincerely puzzled. "How much time have you spent in battle after meaningless battle? Why not simply let it all _end?"_

The reply came from an unexpected source. "Because," Kevin said dryly (particularly interesting, given the fact that he was already the walking dead; the radiation count was already lethal), "there are several billion people who have something of a difference of opinion with you, Le Creuset."

"What does it matter? One day, they too will realize the futility of it all!" Rau laughed yet again. "And what does it matter to you, Cain? You're already dead, and you know it!"

"Maybe so," he conceded. "But some things never change." He switched frequencies, broadcasting to every receiver within range. _"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice..."_

Freedom and Providence clashed, blade to blade; Freedom lost its left leg, Providence one of its last remaining laser emitters.

"From what I've tasted of desire..."

"People never change, do they, Kira?" Le Creuset proclaimed. "This is their destiny! _They _led us to the inevitable end!"

"You don't understand anything, Le Creuset!" Kira shot back, lopping off the last DRAGOON emitter. "People aren't like that at all!"

"...I hold with those who favor fire..."

"Of course I don't understand," the lunatic agreed. "After all, you can only understand what you've experienced!"

"But if it had to perish twice..."

Another clash, and Freedom lost its head; the attack cost Providence its left arm.

"...I think I know enough of hate to know that for destruction..."

Freedom lost its right arm and was blown backwards, but Kira was by no means done. _"This is still a world that's worth protecting!"_ With Freedom's remaining arm, he connected his sabers, forming the beam staff Athrun was so fond of.

Le Creuset finally began to realize the true power of Kira Yamato, but it was too late; the first strike lopped off his own remaining arm, and then Kira stabbed straight through the Providence's cockpit._ "Diiiieeee!"_

"...ice is also great and would suffice."

GENESIS finally fired... and at the same instant, Kevin Walker's three-kiloton nuclear demolition charge detonated, blowing the gizzards out of the giant weapon before it could do more than vaporize what was left of Providence and batter the fleeing Freedom.

As it did so, one last transmission came out of the inferno. _"Fire this time..."_

On _Dominion_'s Bridge, Invictus gasped and fell to the deck as he felt the man whose cells had made him die; and in the Freedom, the sudden severance of the link between the two pilots knocked Kira unconscious.

Far, far away, a man called Jack Carter fell to the floor in his office, stunned.

Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga, Natarle Badgiruel, Flay Allster, Tolle Koenig, Lacus Clyne, Athrun Zala, and Cagalli Yula Athha stared at the blinding light in horror, knowing that at the very least, Baron Kevin Walker had perished at its heart... and perhaps Kira Yamato with him.

* * *

At last, the incredible flare of energy faded, and Athrun and Cagalli, trailed by the _Archangel, Kusanagi, Eternal_, and _Dominion_, cautiously began to search for possible survivors of the cataclysmic explosion. 

Of those present at Ground Zero, they knew for a fact that Rau Le Creuset and Kevin Walker were dead. Providence had been caught in the very center of GENESIS' final, abortive shot, and, judging from Invictus' condition, there was no chance at all that Kevin could have survived.

But Kira Yamato was still a distinct possibility; that hope was all that kept Cagalli from breaking down during the search... a search that seemed hopeless. A mobile suit was huge, but space, even the space of planetary orbit, was unimaginably vast; finding the Freedom would make looking for a needle in a haystack look easy.

In the end, it was Birdy, Kira's robotic pet, that led them to its master. After having left the _Archangel_ through a hull breach, it had gone searching, and it succeeded where humans had failed.

Cagalli and Athrun saw it from aboard the Strike Rouge. Neither it nor the Justice had been able to get completely clear of the explosion, so they were both badly damaged; the Justice all the more so, which was why Athrun had joined Cagalli and sent his machine back to the ships.

Not without a brief discussion, however. Despite the damage to his mobile suit, Athrun had offered to go after Kira himself, so that Cagalli could go after the Stormhawk (or what was left of it). But she'd refused. "No, Athrun," she'd said, struggling to keep her voice steady. "There's nothing I'd like better, but Kevin's... Kevin's gone. We can't do anything for him. I'm sure he'd want it this way." She swallowed hard. "He always said... that it was the living we should worry about first. The dead should be remembered, but the living are more important. Besides... Kira _is_ my brother. I have to find him."

Now, they followed a mechanical bird through space, trusting that it could find its master. _Come on, Kira..._ Cagalli thought. _Be safe, please..._

* * *

Kira Yamato drifted in space, near the battered and broken ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam, out of which the explosion had spat him. He was only now regaining consciousness, with a sense that all was not right in the universe. There was an empty feeling in his mind, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. 

Lacking anything else to do (he was, after all, drifting through vacuum with no propulsion of any kind), Kira puzzled over the enigma, trying to force his still-groggy mind to understand. It was almost as if he could no longer feel emotion, yet that very fact made him confused, belying the feeling.

Then words came to the forefront of his mind, words from recent memory. _"Fire this time..."_

And Kira understood what had happened. The link he had grown accustomed to, between his mind and that of his surrogate brother Kevin, had been severed. That could only mean that his close friend was gone, swallowed -as Kira now realized he must have known he would be, even before his machine had been so savagely mauled- by the very weapon that had saved the world.

The realization saddened Kira, but he was not surprised. They'd both known, from the moment Stormhawk entered GENESIS, that the super-soldier was a dead man. He would grieve, but here was not the place, now not the time. And, as he'd promised Kevin, he'd take care of Cagalli and Kevin's sisters, blood and adopted; part of that meant being with her now. _Goodbye, Kevin... I'll keep my promise, don't worry..._

The only problem being that he could not move, and he suspected he was running out of air.

Then Kira saw something. First, the ring he wore around his neck, Lacus' gift; and Birdy, zeroing in on him as if radar-guided. And behind, following it, was the Strike Rouge.

The cockpit opened. "Kira!" Cagalli shouted.

"Are you okay?" Athrun added.

Kira smiled, feeling a vast sense of relief, tempered by sadness. "Cagalli, Athrun... I'm okay, really. How are you guys?"

Athrun waved a hand. "Justice got a little more beat up than this, but we're both okay." The red machine pulled closer, and he pushed off to retrieve his friend. "Kira..." he began hesitantly. "Kevin's... He's..."

"I know," Kira replied, swallowing hard. "I... I felt it. Have you... found him?"

"Not yet," Athrun said quietly. "We're gonna look for him as soon as we get you aboard." He took a ragged breath, aware of Cagalli's quiet crying within the cockpit. "That idiot... There _must_ have been another way..."

"There wasn't," Kira told him, pulling himself into the Strike Rouge with Athrun's help. "I... think he knew, even before the battle, that he wasn't going to make it. He always seemed to have a sense for that kind of thing."

"Yeah," Athrun agreed. "Well, he _did_ have mental abilities _he_ didn't even understand, let alone us. But if he knew, why...?"

"He didn't have a choice," Cagalli broke in, voice rough. "Or he thought he didn't, anyway. You know Kevin... if he thought it had to be done, he'd do it, no matter what the cost."

"Yeah." Kira held her in a comforting embrace. "Now... let's go find him."

* * *

Even as the few pilots who had successfully ended the most brutal battle of the war short of the Bloody Valentine itself began to regroup, things were happening in the PLANTs. Patrick Zala was dead, leaving Ezalia Joule in charge; but she, too, was quickly removed, supplanted, at least temporarily, by Eileen Canaver, senior survivor of the Clyne Faction. 

Soon enough, she was broadcasting to all forces within the area. _"Attention, all ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces within this region. At this moment, the PLANTs are preparing to conduct negotiations between the Earth Alliance and the PLANT sponsor nations. Before long, a directive will be issued for both sides to cease combat operations within restricted areas. As of this moment, the war is effectively at an end."_

* * *

Finding the remains of MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke was considerably easier than finding the Freedom. It appeared that it had not actually suffered much more damage during the explosion; merely ripped off its remaining wing and limbs. The cockpit itself was intact, which suggested that Kevin had died of a massive radiation surge, one which overwhelmed even his cybernetic augmentation. 

In the end, his body and the remnants of his machine were taken aboard the _Dominion_, where the Stormhawk was laid carefully in the hanger and Kevin was taken to the Infirmary. There he was placed on one of the sickbeds, to await his final return to his native ground.

Cagalli was not there; she had seen to the body, then joined the group on the Bridge, where she would not be alone. Only the ship's doctor, a man by the name of Lester Devlin -who, like the rest of the surviving crew, had become almost fanatically loyal to the charismatic Baron during his time as captain- remained, watching the still corpse.

He looked much as he had in life. The bright jade eyes, now closed forever; the jagged scar across his face, marking the boundary between flesh and machine; the light sandy hair, raggedly cut by his own enormous knife. All that had really changed was the nasty burns on his exposed skin, and the clearly-visible metal of his right arm. Unlike his face, whose synthetic skin had been protected by his helmet, his bionic arm had been laid bare by the powerful radiation surge. The synthetics had reacted badly, and so bare metal lay where once a flesh-and-blood arm had been.

The doctor looked up, hearing the hatch open. After a moment's glance, he came to his feet and instinctively saluted. "Ms. Canaver, isn't it?" he said in surprise.

Eileen Canaver nodded. "At ease, Doctor. Even if I were military, you're part of a very different chain of command." She looked at Kevin's still body. "I wanted to pay my respects to a brave man. So this is Siegel's unknowing son? The man who destroyed GENESIS?"

"Yes, Ma'am, it is. And," Devlin added forcefully, "perhaps the bravest man I ever knew. A better man by far than that worthless scum Azrael." The vitriol in his tone could have destroyed GENESIS all by itself.

Canaver nodded agreement. "I knew him, once. When he still lived under his own name, Siegel introduced him to me. Of course, neither of them then knew their true relation. I was impressed by him, and saddened when I learned of his death, two years ago." She looked over at the doctor. "I'm told the princess of Orb was... very close to him, by the end. How is she taking it?"

"Not well, Ma'am," Devlin said regretfully. "It's only been two months since they came aboard, but we -the crew, I mean- heard things. Miss Cagalli lost him once, two years ago, and got him back just a few months ago. Losing him again is... hard. Nobody should have to go through that, Ma'am. Least of all our wing commander." He shook his head. "They've given enough. Both of 'em. I just wish the Captain hadn't had to sacrifice _himself_."

"Somehow," Canaver said softly, "I imagine he has no regrets, if he still exists somehow, somewhere. He died for the world, yes, a world he couldn't care less about. But he did so on _his_ terms, for the more immediate goal of saving his friends." She lightly touched the burned, lifeless face. "A brave man, indeed."

And that was when Kevin's body started changing, with a perceptible _flowing_ effect over his exposed skin.

Both Devlin and Canaver jerked back at the sight... especially since that "flow" appeared to be healing the burns on the dead soldier's face. "What in the _world...?"_ The doctor trailed off into muttered curses and snatched at his instruments.

"What's going on?" Canaver demanded, unable to comprehend what was occurring. "What _is_ this?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Devlin replied, equally confused and more than a little unnerved. "Radiation count decreasing, red blood cell count increasing... _What the?_ _Heart beat?"_

They stared as the peculiar effect faded, and Kevin Walker's chest began to rise and fall.

* * *

_He was leaving the world of eternal light once more, that place he could never remember when returned to life. He did not know how long he had been absent, but he sensed it was time to return to the world of the living, to the radiation-savaged body he had left behind._

_Already, his ears had begun to function once again. "...he did so on _his_ terms, for the more immediate goal of saving his friends. A brave man, indeed."_

_He could feel his face now, in a distant sort of way. "What in the world...?"_

_"What's going on?" the first voice demanded. "What _is_ this?"_

_"Your guess is as good as mine. Radiation count decreasing, red blood cell count increasing..._ What the? Heart beat?"

Blood pumped through his veins once more, and breath flowed into his lungs. It was time to awaken from his time of rest.

* * *

Before the disbelieving eyes of Doctor Lester Devlin and Representative Eileen Canaver, Kevin Walker's "dead" body sat bolt upright in the bed, gasping. "What- What- Where?" He looked around wildly, right eye flickering red and green for a few moments. "Oh," he said after a moment. "I'm alive again." 

About then, Kevin felt something he could only describe as a re-connection in his head, and sudden, shocked disbelief filled the link. (_What the?_)

Ignoring for a moment the other occupants of the room, the super-soldier grinned to himself. (_Hey, Kira. Long -or maybe not so long- time no see. You okay, tovarisch?_)

(_But... but you're..._)

(_Wouldn't be the first time I came back from the dead, remember?_) A thought struck him. (_How's Cagalli? Is she okay?_)

(_She's fine,_) Kira managed to reply. (_Except for..._)

(_Yeah, I know._) Another, less altruistic thought entered Kevin's head. (_Hey, Kira, I'd appreciate it if you let me tell her myself, okay?_)

(_Why- Oh._) Through his sense of shock, Kira was suddenly amused. (_Sure, Kevin. You got it. But hurry, okay? She's... not feeling too great._)

(_Be right there, tovarisch._)

Aloud, Kevin muttered to himself, "What _is_ it with me and nuclear bombs?" _Note to self: be more careful with nuclear weapons._

Canaver stared at him. "But... how...? You... you were... dead..."

"Just about as dead as a guy can be without being completely vaporized," Devlin concurred. "Captain, you weren't only merely dead, you were really quite sincerely dead, if you'll pardon the expression."

"Don't worry about it, Doc." Kevin grinned. "Hey, it's not exactly the first time I've been dead, you know? Though I _would_ like to get out of the habit." His gaze turned to the other. "Eileen Canaver, isn't it? It's been a long time."

"Several years," Canaver confirmed, "besides your brief stay with Siegel a few months ago." She was still shaken, but the mind can adjust to remarkable things. "But... how are you alive? Was it the nanotechnology I'm told you have?"

He shook his head. "Not nanotech; most of that got shorted out by a close encounter with an antique antitank gun. No, Ms. Canaver, I simply seem to have a very hard time staying dead." Kevin stood, testing his newly-regenerated body. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get to the Bridge. There are some people who I think will be glad to see me."

"Of course, Captain," Devlin replied dazedly.

As the resurrected super-soldier left the room, Canaver looked at the doctor. "Did we really just see that?"

"Apparently." The man rubbed his head in confusion. "Well, they do say Captain Walker is famous for making the unsurvivable survivable; they just never got around to mentioning he sometimes has to come back from the dead to do it."

* * *

The _Dominion_'s Bridge was a quiet place. Meryl Steiglitz went through her helm duties mechanically, Flay Allster looked silently at her station, Natarle Badgiruel and Athrun Zala stared at bulkheads, along with Yzak Joule and Lacus Clyne, John Tyler shook his head groggily, unaware of why his head no longer hurt so badly... and Kira Yamato, an odd, unnoticed smile on his face, comforted his sister Cagalli, who was quietly weeping. 

On the other three ships, the scene was not quite as grief-ridden, but it was sad, especially on the _Archangel_. They had known Kevin Walker best and longest, and his loss, just on the brink of victory, was bitter.

Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga at her side, realized someone needed to say something. _"This is a great day, and a sad day,"_ she began, broadcasting to her fellow ships. _"We have ended the war, but we have lost so many doing it, even those who, perhaps, should not have been our enemies. Thousands of PLANT soldiers and civilians, who fought only for their homes, untainted by Zala's madness; perhaps millions in the Earth Forces' fleets and bases. Many M1 pilots, valiant crew members on all our ships, and the _Dominion_'s entire Strike Dagger unit. And, last but by no means least, we have lost Kevin Walker."_

She had to pause for a moment to collect herself. Murrue had gotten to know the super-soldier well, ever since they first met, and by the end they were like brother and sister; and he'd demonstrated his inhuman skills on the battlefield... and off it, when he casually blew away her sidearm. _"It may seem cold and heartless to speak of him above all the others,"_ she went on, _"yet in doing so, we do not lessen their sacrifices. Instead, we merely recognize the courage and valor of one of our own, a comrade, a friend... a family member. Kevin Walker began his epic and, he would say, cursed journey as a brainwashed super-soldier, created by a madman, authorized by a madman. When I first met him, he was still troubled by this terrible past, yet he still became a trusted ally, and a good friend. And as he traveled with us, became one of us, he cast aside the demons of his past, lived the life _he_ wanted to live. Soon after capturing the _Dominion_, he swore an interesting oath, one that gave me the honor of being his... his sister, and however it may have come about, siblings we were. Kevin was... a hero, however much he might despise the label. He never broke on oath, even to the last, when victory and survival became mutually-exclusive choices. And in the end, he died as he had lived, the way he would have wanted to die: capable of subtlety, but prejudiced toward the biggest explosions he could possibly create."_

It was about then those looking to the rear of the _Dominion_'s Bridge, including Murrue, began to gape in utter astonishment.

"I know I got a little banged up, but isn't it a little early for the eulogy, Sis?"

Those eyes that hadn't already been staring whipped around to the elevator, from which a certain sandy-haired, jade-eyed young man in a black flight suit with a mechanical arm, had just emerged.

Especially Cagalli's eyes. "Kevin?" she whispered, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Hey, tovarisch," Kevin said with an easy smile.

The next thing he knew, he'd been slammed into the bulkhead by the blond-haired girl, who cared not _how_ he had returned; just that he _had._ "You _idiot!"_ she shouted, pounding her fists on his chest. "How could you _do_ that to me? If you ever, _ever_ do something like that again, I'll...!"

"I promise I'll never blow myself up again," Kevin said gently. "Hey, I came back, didn't I?"

That did it. Cagalli held him tight, burying her face in his chest and crying, while the rest of those present on the Bridge, and those watching from the other ships, burst into spontaneous, thunderous applause.

* * *

Kevin Walker never knew how he came back from the dead. Though GENESIS would not be his last "suicide" mission, he was never to understand what kept restoring his body. 

Only a long-dead scientist called Oracle ever knew the truth, and he died before he could see the triumph of his work.

For Kevin was wrong; _not_ all of his nanotechnology was shorted out. A backup system of which he had no knowledge still existed: an experimental nanorepair system that became active only when all heart and brainwave activity ceased.

Highly resilient, these nanites were capable of rebuilding Kevin Walker's body almost from nothing, as after the fusion explosion years before. When active, the tiny machines reconstructed his body to the form it held when he was last healthy; hence the retention of his scars and prosthetics (though where, exactly, his mind went when his body ceased to function no one knew; all that was certain was that it was the _same_ mind every time, not a copy).

They were not infallible; under bombard by electromagnetic pulse, these nanites, like the rest of his augmentation, would fail. But as soon as -or if- the systems were rebooted, automatic repair functions restored them to full capacity.

And Kevin Walker would live again...

* * *

Glossary

* * *

CARDINAL:

Codename for a Blue Cosmos agent by the name of Alex Jackson, operating within the Atlantic Federation, and later the Earth Alliance, one of his early missions was to sabotage the Porta Panama mass driver just before it launched a shuttle containing Baron John Tyler Onishi and his wife, resulting in their deaths.

Subsequently, he contacted the Baron's son (without realizing his true identity) and shared intelligence data on Blue Cosmos movements with the "Crimson Tiger". Hardly an altruistic move; it was, despite the tremendous casualties inflicted upon Blue Cosmos cells through the information, a successful attempt to maneuver "Jack Carter" into a trap. Matters finally came to a head in the former Groom Lake military base in North America, the facility called "Area 51" by some. Over one hundred Blue Cosmos members were sent in, with heavy weaponry, to kill the lethal young Coordinator, and it was a slaughter.

Kevin Walker emerged with nary a scratch.

No Blue Cosmos soldier emerged alive.

CARDINAL was eventually tracked down to Banadiya by Walker and assassinated by him; the double agent was swiftly followed into death by his subordinate, Michael Carnehan, a former Destroyer who went by the codename Kraken (though neither knew at the time, Kraken was Hydra's clone).

Active Cloak:

An experimental stealth/defense device first installed in the MBF-M2000 Wraith. Utilizing a prototype energy deflection shield, it is capable of fending off most beam and projectile attacks (the GAT-X252 Forbidden's beam deflectors served a similar purpose, but with colloid gas instead of an energy field).

Following the war, work in the field was continued by Kevin Walker's personal think-tank, with interesting results that were deployed two years later.

* * *

Author's note: The end has come for Muruta Azrael, Patrick Zala, Rau Le Creuset, and GENESIS; and the war has come to an end… but some would say it's just begun… 

It ain't over yet, people. There's still an epilogue, never fear; and a few more questions will be answered.

And a few more posed, of course. But that, as they say, is another story.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, I think I know what events in Destiny you're referring to, and rest assured I've already thought through the potential problems… including one posed by the survival of a certain character. I've got it all worked out.

I imagine you guessed correctly what Kevin's actions were; there were a few fairly blatant hints, all the way back to Chapter 31.

Daniel Lynx, I actually thought of having people call Kevin "Boss" quite a while before the whole clone thing came up; but now that you mention it, it _does_ sound like a Metal Gear reference, doesn't it? Anyway, I hope the final battle was to your liking.

Deathzealot, I reiterate that I have not found anything _official_ that indicates how many mobile suits an _Archangel_-class can support; but in any case, I modified it in Chapters 34 and 35, and I'll go back and fix Chapter 33 tomorrow night (along with quite a few other things).

By the way, the websites didn't show up in your review.

Ominae, I don't know if this chapter has exactly what you wanted, but at least there was some things along that line.

Attempt, I think this chapter answered your question; and I'm glad you like the character interaction. Having great respect for the storytelling of the anime, I've always tried to capture the feel. I don't think I quite succeeded, but I do think what came out wasn't too bad. Nice to know someone else thinks so, too.

RVD, Kevin did indeed die in this chapter. But come on, did you really think he was going to _stay_ dead? I said I hate sad endings, and besides: I've made numerous references to his presence in a sequel. Can't exactly be in a sequel if he's dead, eh?

Shinji Ikari, thanks for the spelling clarification; as you'll have seen by the time you actually read this, I've got that in mind.

Like I said, don't give me credit for the hyper-jammer explanation; that was Dragoon Swordsman's idea. As for the augmentation… part of it was that I needed to clarify the implanted radio. For example, in chapter 12, Kevin uses it over a distance of dozens of kilometers, and given the N-jammers, a normal radio couldn't do it; hence the quantum mechanics, similar to how Providence maintains contact with its DRAGOON System.

The next, and final, chapter will have a couple of more glossary entries, including, as you suggested, Invictus' armor (something _I_ should have thought of explaining long ago).

The bit with Steiglitz having a weapon on the Bridge is fully explained in the first one-shot, which I've already written up (these won't be in chronological order, but rather will be posted as an idea hits me), and will post shortly after the final chapter of Brothers in Arms.

Point taken about GENESIS; I'll go back and fix it tomorrow night, along with every other little thing I've been putting off. I don't want to post the final chapter while I still have earlier chapters to fix.

As for Kevin going after Zala, as opposed to Le Creuset, I'll group my response with that to a later paragraph.

First of all, you need to go back and reread Chapter 2. Therein, you will notice that Le Creuset himself did not know exactly what was going on with ABADDON; note his reference to _rumors_. Therefore, he actually had very little to do with the Project itself, after suggesting it, other than creating Invictus. And thus, he wasn't trying to hide the details from Zala, and Oracle would be too wrapped up in his work to bother, so my original point stands: Zala _should_ have known what was going on, so in Kevin's mind, he bears more responsibility than Le Creuset, who merely brought Oracle to Zala's attention (and besides, is revenge ever logical?)

With regard to Tolle… I may add something to the epilogue; I'm not sure. Something to think about, anyway.

I've already heard something about the Sahakus and the Gold Frame Astray, by the way; I'm still not sure exactly what you're referring to, but I did notice the final version of the Gold Frame has a pair of sabers.

About Carpentaria: true, I don't think the website refers specifically to Carpentaria being taken over. However, I seem to remember that ZAFT was basically kicked off Earth by the various attacks, and Gibraltar _was_ captured. Also, I don't think even Zala would fire GENESIS at Earth with a major base still occupied by his people (despite his willingness to sacrifice those in GENESIS' line of fire; after all, Carpentaria would have known in advance).

When it comes to Flay, you'll notice there's nothing definite there. Spending a lot of time in each other's company doesn't necessarily mean anything; and in case, I've got no definite plans myself. Plan to wait and see reviewer reaction, and make my final decision based on that, when it comes time for the sequel.

The major questions about Carter will be answered in the epilogue, don't worry… if for no other reason than to get people to shut up about it!

As for Boaz, let me remind you that, even with advance notice, it would probably take awhile just to get there. It's my assumption that in the anime, the Three Ships Alliance _did_ know that attack was coming -dialogue certainly implies it- but just couldn't make it in time. When you're dealing with orbital mechanics, it certainly makes sense.

Glad you liked the monologue; it was a spur of the moment thing that seemed to fit. Though I don't recall calling myself a beginner (my first story was posted on this site over two years ago); what I said was that I was an _amateur_. Either way, I suppose it's a difference without distinction, one might say.

You'll note that I did add a scene about the final Dagger pilots; your point was well taken, and it seemed a good place to show off Kevin's prowess when he gets _really_ mad.

As for why they weren't trying to reach Jachin early on, two reasons: first, they couldn't be sure GENESIS was actually complete; and second, the nukes _were_ just a bit more of an immediate problem, wouldn't you say?

Finally, the website I mentioned last chapter was Mecha Anime Headquarters. It doesn't have character profiles, but it does have episode synopses and mechanical information. And in case you're interested, I'm considering using the Wing Gundam Early Version depicted there for the sequel, instead of the Wing Zero Custom; I'd be interested in your opinion on the matter.

That leads me to my final point, **to all reviewers:** as said above, I'm thinking of using the Wing Gundam Early Version for the Stormhawk's rebuilt form, rather than the Wing Zero Custom, and I'd like opinions on the matter.

Now that everything seems to have been said, I'll go try to upload this. Emphasis on _try_; this is by far the longest chapter I've ever uploaded, and it will take a long time to debug (given what Quick Edit tends to do to my documents). If you don't see this till next year, you'll know why. -Solid Shark


	36. Epilogue: The Journey Home

I don't own anything except Kevin Walker, his clones, Max, and Meryl Steiglitz

* * *

The war was over. They had won. 

Or ended it, more precisely; neither the Earth Alliance Forces nor the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty had really come off very well in the end. In this war, there was no true victor, except perhaps the Four Ships Alliance, which had brought about the conflict's resolution.

Now it was time to return to Earth at last. While the _Eternal_ remained in space (the vessel being incapable of atmospheric reentry), the Orb _Izumo_-class _Kusanagi_ and the pair of former Earth Alliance Mobile Assault Ships made their way down to Earth, where the majority of them had been born.

_Kusanagi_ took a few moments to disconnect from its fore and aft sections, which always remained in orbit; meanwhile, the _Archangel_ made her way onward, accompanied by her sister ship,_ Dominion._

On _Dominion_'s Bridge was perhaps the most bizarre collection of misfits ever gathered aboard one warship. Uniforms from every conceivable faction were represented, and the place was crowded.

To the aft were a pair of visitors from the _Eternal_, who were riding down with the ship for the celebration... and just possibly because the PLANTs wouldn't be a healthy place to be for awhile. The taller man was brown-haired, with a scar over his missing left eye, and an empty left sleeve. He wore a brown trench coat over a ZAFT uniform, and his name was Andrew "Desert Tiger" Waltfeld; he was also the mentor of the _Dominion_'s Captain.

To his right stood a slightly shorter man, with flaming red hair and a green ZAFT uniform. He was Martin DaCosta, Waltfeld's protégé.

At the communications station, facing to port, sat a sixteen-year-old girl, with red hair and sky blue eyes; at 162 centimeters tall, she equaled the height of another member of the Bridge crew. Her name was Flay Allster, and though she had worn a couple of other uniforms during the long months of war, she was now in a standard Earth Forces uniform.

At her back, facing starboard, was the fire-control officer. His features closely resembled the Captain's, and he wore battle armor, adjusted to look like a ZAFT top gun uniform. Usually known as John Tyler, he was once called Invictus; Rau Le Creuset's private assassin. He was also the Captain's clone.

Standing near Flay's station was an eighteen-year-old pilot in ZAFT red; at 175 cm tall, the white-haired, ice-blue-eyed Yzak Joule was one of the tallest people in the room. His presence was quite ironic, given that he had spent much of the war shooting at his current Captain, but no one really cared anymore.

Manning the helm was a brown-haired, gray-eyed young woman in Earth Forces white. Meryl Steiglitz stood out from the rest in that she wore a rapier at her side; she was the Captain's former fencing rival.

In CIC, a twenty-five-year-old Lieutenant Commander with black hair and amethyst eyes kept watch over all. Natarle Badgiruel wore Earth Forces white, and she had been _Dominion_'s captain until a brilliant takeover which she now wholeheartedly approved of. She was a centimeter shorter than Yzak, but her attitude more than made up for any size deficiency.

To the right of the command chair stood a seventeen-year-old in Earth Forces volunteer blue, with brown hair and amethyst eyes; he was eleven centimeters shorter than the Captain, but that mean nothing. Kira Yamato, though his DNA was far different, might as well have been the Captain's brother. They'd known each other for ten years, and such distinctions meant nothing to them.

To _his_ right stood his girlfriend, a pink-haired sixteen-year-old with blue eyes, wearing a peculiar dress; at 158 cm, she was a full eighteen centimeters shorter than the Captain, but there was nonetheless a close resemblance between the two. For good reason: though neither had known until recently, Lacus Clyne was the Captain's sister.

And to _her_ right was her ex-fiancé, a blue-haired, emerald-eyed pilot of the same age, who wore ZAFT red. Athrun Zala, six centimeters shorter than the Captain, didn't look much like him; but, like Kira, he was, in every way that mattered, the Captain's brother.

To the left of the command chair, in the seat once occupied by one Director Muruta Azrael (who now existed only as free-floating hydrogen), sat a blond-haired, golden-eyed girl in the orange-and-white of Morgenroete, Inc. Her birthday and blood type were the same as Kira's; only three centimeters separated them in height, and their features were remarkably similar. For good reason: they were twins, though they, too, had only discovered the connection recently.

More importantly, Cagalli Yula Athha was, in addition to being _Dominion_'s wing commander, the Captain's girlfriend. They'd grown up together, and what had once been friendship had finally, inevitably, become something far more.

And in that command chair sat the Captain himself, a 176 cm-tall seventeen-year-old in black, with Earth Forces Captain's insignia on the collar of his unzipped black leather jacket. He had ragged sandy hair -cut using his favored Bowie knife- and glowing jade-green eyes.

His right hand could be seen quite clearly, un-gloved as it was, and it showed just how much the youthful Captain had seen in his short life. It was a bare metal prosthesis, the legacy of an antitank bullet that had practically ripped his arm off; the synthetic flesh had been irradiated off during the destruction of the ZAFT superweapon GENESIS.

His name was Kevin Walker. Not the name he had been born with, but that name was, itself, little more than an alias. So Kevin Walker it was, except to Waltfeld, who still called him Racher, the Revenger, and the handful who called him Snake.

His story was one of the most tragic of the entire Cosmic Era, but when the war drew him in, his luck, unlike that of many, many others, had at last changed for the better. His memory, once wiped by the madman neo-Nazi Oracle, had returned completely, he had reunited with Athrun Zala, and he had, at last, gotten together with the girl he loved.

They were a diverse group, certainly. A motley one, some might say. But those aboard the _Dominion_, and the _Archangel_, _Eternal_, and _Kusanagi_, had become something more than a collection of soldiers with the same cause. More than friends, they were family. Those who had fought together for so long, and those who had fallen along the way, they were all the same. Family. They were brothers in arms, and now they had done the impossible; and having done so, they were heading home. Or what was already home for some of them, and would soon be home for others.

"I can't believe we made it this far..." Kevin whispered, almost awed.

"I know," Cagalli agreed quietly. "We made it through a lot of crazy things, didn't we? There were times I was sure we were going to die."

"And times when some of us did," Kira put in wryly. "Don't do it again, okay? That really hurt, you know."

Snake chuckled; Kira had told him of the psychic shock which had literally knocked him unconscious at the moment of the super-soldier's death. Invictus hadn't been much better off. "I wouldn't have done it if there'd been any other choice. Sometimes, though, you gotta sacrifice everything to save everything else."

"As some of us did," John intoned solemnly. He'd lost good people when GENESIS blew the stuffing out of the ship's starboard weapons. "For some, there can be no homecoming."

"But for others, there is," Lacus said. She looked at Kira. "Let us never forget those who lost their lives in this war; yet let us also rejoice that so many of us have survived."

"Coming up on atmospheric reentry, Captain," Steiglitz called. "Orders?"

"Begin descent, Meryl." Kevin grinned suddenly. "Oh, and you're out of uniform, by the way."

She glanced at her uniform, confused. "Excuse me, Cap'n?"

The grin widened. "On my own authority," he began, "being the senior officer on this bucket of bolts, I hereby promote you, Lieutenant _Commander_ Steiglitz."

Steiglitz looked around, and shifted her gaze to CIC. "Can he do that, Commander Badgiruel?" she demanded, wondering if it was some kind of bizarre joke.

"Seeing as there's no one to tell him he can't," Natarle said dryly, "I guess so. Congratulations, Commander."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me," Kevin mused, looking down into CIC himself. "Natarle, you are from this moment a full commander."

Natarle rolled her eyes. _I should have known; well, it's better than when we hated each other's guts._

Cagalli rotated her chair to face the aft stations. _Well, why not?_ "Kevin, while you're promoting people..."

"Ah, of course." He swiveled his own chair. "Flay, you are henceforth _Lieutenant_ Allster."

This went on a few minutes more, while the ship began its descent and activated her ablative gel dischargers, until it got to Yzak. "Wait a minute, Captain Walker," he said, holding up his hands. "Thanks for the thought, but I'm afraid I won't be staying with your crazy bunch. After the celebration's over, I'm going back to the PLANTs; Ms. Canaver has promised amnesty for the ZAFT soldiers who joined the Four Ships Alliance."

"As you will, Yzak," Kevin acknowledged. "Good luck."

Athrun shook his head, regretful. "I won't be taking her up on her offer, myself. It's... not very healthy to be a Zala, at the moment." He paused, remembering with a certain pain the sight of his father, blasted to ashes by a vengeful Kevin. He didn't blame his friend, though; he knew now of the nightmares that had plagued the youth for so long, which had vanished now. "What about you, Lacus?" he asked, changing the subject.

Lacus smiled, shook her head, and tucked her arm through Kira's. "I won't be going back, either. Fame no longer interests me; I want to just live quietly now, with those closest to me."

"Me, too," Kira agreed, smiling. He was happier now than he'd been in a very long time. "I've had my fill of war; it's time to just go someplace and _rest_."

"I know the feeling," Kevin said fervently. "After the party, I'm going to take my first vacation in three years; I think it's time for a break."

"I'm going, too," Cagalli said, standing and moving over to stand by his chair. On the main screen, the sky was rapidly changing from black to red, and now from red to blue as the ship plunged into the Earth's atmosphere. "But where should we go?"

He smiled, touching her hand. "I seem to remember a nice, deserted island in the Indian Ocean. Nothing there but sand, trees, caves, and a few pieces of Skygrasper."

Athrun snorted. He knew quite well the island his friend was talking about. _Yeah, where we nearly killed each. Again. Or rather, where Kevin nearly killed _me That was before Athrun had any idea of what Project ABADDON was, and his ignorance had very nearly cost him his life. _Only Cagalli's intervention saved me._

"We've completed atmospheric reentry, Captain," Meryl reported. "Right on target."

"Good." Kevin stood and walked over to stand between the helm consoles, Cagalli at his side. He just stood there for several moments, gazing out the viewports; they'd arrived over the Pacific Ocean, in a region neither side currently claimed.

_What is more constant than the sea?_ he wondered._ Rough though it may at times be, the sea is always there, ever-changing but ever-present. People live and die, governments, even civilizations rise and fall, but the ocean is always there, immortal._

It's a miracle that we made it this far. Many lives were lost along the way; I took more than my fair share myself. Yet life goes on. The Destroyers were obliterated, my father and mother killed before I even knew I was their son, and many fellow soldiers felled in this great conflict. But we remain, and though we mourn, life goes on.

"Captain?" Meryl called, interrupting his reverie. "Where to?"

"Set a course for Orb," Kevin ordered. "We're going home."

* * *

Two days later, _Dominion_ and _Archangel_ had reached Orb (_Kusanagi_, because of her design, had landed there straight off, at her own landing facility). 

The various crews, including that of the _Eternal_ (who had been spread across the three ships), gathered at the Onishi Mansion, whose enormous "library" could easily accommodate them all. Dusty, long-unused, it had been cleaned up on Ledonir Kisaka's order while the other two ships were en route. Now, it was perhaps the liveliest it had ever been.

Classical music played, some danced in the center of the room (the generation that had built the mansion had wanted it prepared for every possibility, though Kevin somehow doubted they'd anticipated a celebration following one of the most brutal battles in the history of mankind), and others simply gathered in pairs or small groups at the periphery of the huge chamber, talking quietly.

It was the first chance they'd had to truly relax in many months; for some, nearly two full years. In Kevin's case, it was the first time in _three-and-a-half_ years; even during his time on Heliopolis, there'd been a subsurface tension. Now he felt nothing but relief.

Ordinarily, he hated parties, and even now he simply stood to one side with Cagalli, watching as others mingled. But this one he truly enjoyed, because every single person in the room was either a friend or a comrade; every single one of them had earned his respect, and many of them his friendship.

Sipping a drink (he was technically underage, perhaps, but that was by Natural standards; and besides, his liver didn't work like that of normal humans), Kevin gazed out across the room, one arm around Cagalli. He could see Miriallia Haw, Tolle Koenig, and Dearka Elsman -the three had, strangely, become close friends in the past months- standing near a wall speaker, chatting together with a disembodied voice. The voice belonged to the battle computer known as Max; originally created to ride herd on Tolle while flying his Wraith, she had downloaded herself into the Mansion's computers, now that the battles were over. She was the only computer in the world with an income, a tax return, and a vote. She had also been heard once to declare she intended to take up sheep-herding after the war; knowing Max as he did, Kevin was unsure if she was joking. He _thought_ so... but he wasn't sure.

He somehow wasn't surprised to see Flay and Yzak talking quietly in a corner; few things had gone on aboard the _Dominion_ without his knowledge, after all. He didn't know how serious it was, but he _did_ know they'd become friends; it was probably one of the reasons Yzak no longer seemed so contemptuous of Naturals.

Murrue and Mu were on the dance floor, and Kevin smiled to himself. _Like I didn't see _that_ coming from practically the moment he joined the crew._ It pleased him to see the two together; though he'd always had the oddest feeling that if he hadn't taken over _Dominion_, something bad would have happened to Mu. _Forget it, Kevin,_ he told himself. _Whatever it was didn't happen, and that's all that matters, isn't it?_

Kira and Lacus were also dancing; Kevin wasn't sure if he was surprised or not that Kira knew how. _He_ did, of course, as did Cagalli, but they'd both been reared as aristocrats. Now, however, was not the time to ask; Kevin instead discretely stayed away from their link, keeping it effectively closed. _Something I should probably teach Kira how to do sometime,_ he thought idly. _If he's gonna have to live with it, he should at least understand it a little better._

Meryl Steiglitz was off in a corner, rapier in hand as she practiced the old moves. The blade had once belonged to the "Fencing Prince"; he'd given it to her when she professed her intention to practice until she could at least fight her old rival to a stalemate. _She just might do it, too. I'm rusty... and I'm not even sure that she's a Natural. I'll have to ask her, sometime._

Kojiro Murdoch, his mechanics, and the _Archangel_'s Bridge crew were having a spirited game of cards with Martin DaCosta, observed by Andrew Waltfeld. Andy seemed off in his own thoughts, though; he was remembering another who should have there, but wasn't.

Athrun was chatting with Asagi Caldwell, Juri Wu Nien, and Mayura Labatt. Now that the fighting was over, he was comparing notes with them about the Baron; he talking about what Kevin was like at Copernicus, and the test pilots telling the old tales about the Baron's Orb life.

Sai Argyle had now wandered over to Yzak and Flay. Things were still a little awkward between them, and Kevin suspected they could never go back to the way they'd been before, but they were at least speaking to each other again.

It was about then that Kevin noticed the absence of a certain individual. He could feel his presence, but he couldn't pick him out of the crowd. "Say, where's John?" he asked quietly of Cagalli.

She glanced around, and focused on the dance floor. "There he is," she said, nodding at John Tyler's location; she could hardly believe her eyes, though.

It was all Kevin could do not to goggle at his clone when he realized who the assassin was dancing _with_. "I... don't... believe it..." he whispered, dumbfounded. He hadn't been that flabbergasted in a very, _very_ long time. "John Tyler, assassin... and _Natarle Badgiruel?"_

Cagalli couldn't help but laugh at his poleaxed expression. "Weird, isn't it? But I _had_ heard rumors... they were from Murdoch's people, though, so I didn't really put much stock in them..."

Kevin shook his head, utterly bemused, when the man once called Invictus spared a moment's attention from his dance partner to stick his tongue out at his "brother". "Has the world turned upside-down? Or inside-out? I mean, even going by John's biological, instead of chronological, age, she's a good eight years his senior... and... and..."

She shrugged. "Well, he _is_ made from your genes, right? I mean, enhanced even beyond Coordinators, and Coordinators mature faster than Naturals as it is. And his personality _is_ pretty different from yours, by now. Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah... I guess so..."

At the moment John looked at Kevin, Natarle shot him a glance, as well; and she was struck by the contrast between the two. _It's... weird,_ she thought. _They're polar opposites, yet each _looks_ like what the other _is_. John's a feared assassin, with a reputation for quiet assassinations, yet inside he's more of a philosopher; and the Captain... Kevin's an aristocratic fencer, but his past is bloodier than John's... and he'd do it again, in a heartbeat._ The thought would have been chilling, except Natarle knew them both well by now. _He'd never kill without reason... I think... and they both fiercely protect those they love._

John noticed her slightly distracted air and raised an eyebrow. "Thinking deep thoughts, mate?"

Natarle shook herself. "No, not really. It's just... a lot of things have changed, since the _Archangel_ left Heliopolis. Everything, really."

He smiled. "Tell me about it. Back then, I was Rau Le Creuset's private assassin, Kevin was the vengeful... uh... guy with a lot of names... Cagalli thought he was dead and was about half-dead herself from grief, and you..."

She smiled back, ruefully. "I, as our esteemed Captain likes to put it, was 'Ensign Spit and Polish'. But since the two you took over _Dominion_, you've both been a bad influence."

"Well, that describes us pretty well," he said cheerfully. "I remember, Lord Uzumi -rest his soul- always thought Kevin was a 'bad influence' on Cagalli; guess he was right, come to think of it." He paused; though his feet never missed a step. "Any idea what the Bossman wants to do with _Dominion_? Be a shame to turn her into razor blades, even if the repairs _would_ cost a fortune. I'd hate to see her scrapped, after all we've been through aboard her."

"I know." Natarle frowned. "I don't think he intends to scrap her," she said, almost inaudibly; she suspected this was something Kevin wouldn't want overhead by the wrong people. "I know he's told _Cagalli_ that he intends to, but I don't believe it. He's got plans for _Dominion_, John, and I think I know why."

"He doesn't believe in world peace," John said softly. "Can't say I blame him." He looked at her, speculative. "Do _you_ believe in world peace, Natarle?"

"No," she admitted. "Not really. Not after everything I've seen; not after meeting people like Muruta Azrael." She shuddered. "One of the most pleasant experiences in recent memory, I think, was watching _Caligula_ go down. Azrael was one _slimy_ bastard."

* * *

As the evening wore on, Kevin and Cagalli slowly moved about the room, eventually ending up on an upper tier of the library, gazing out a window onto the moonlit sea (the mansion being near the ocean, overlooking a long beach that was also part of the Onishi estate). 

_Ah, it feels good to be home,_ Kevin thought, content._ No matter how much I may have hated politics and the way it consumed my parents, I'll admit I never had any problem with _this_ part of the lifestyle. There are few things more underappreciated than a nice, comfy bed and a place to relax._

He was an expert on the subject, what with his wilderness years. Prior to joining Kira on Heliopolis, the only time he had someplace comfortable to sleep was his two weeks with Andrew Waltfeld. Other than that, he slept where and when he could, and it left him with a _much_ greater appreciation for certain luxuries.

"Quite the place you got here, kid," Mu commented, coming up behind the younger man with Murrue on his arm. "I thought the armory was impressive, but I have to say this puts even that to shame."

"Yeah, I guess so." Kevin glanced around, seeing the various people spread across the huge room. "Truth be told, though, I didn't spend much time in here; even when I was here at home, instead of up at Copernicus, I spent most of my time avoiding my parents. That entailed spending my time mostly in my study, where my parents couldn't bother me." Although the Baron and his wife had turned out not to be his biological parents, the new Baron still referred to them as such, out of habit.

Murrue, who knew very well by now Kevin's displeasure toward John Tyler Onishi's memory, changed the subject. "Speaking of the armory, did you manage to get it cleaned up? Mu told me a lot of things got shot up."

"They certainly did," Cagalli answered for him. "And it'll take months to get the blood out of the carpet. And a small fortune."

"Small?" Mu snickered. "And just what is 'small' to one of the richest men in the world? Or should I even ask? I remember, you said..."

"That if you have to ask the price, you probably can't afford it," Kevin said, nodding. "Yeah, I remember. And let's just say that Cagalli is being generous regarding the price; the good Baron -and his forebears- had a taste for the finer things in life. That carpet is worth more than my old barber."

Murrue smiled at the somewhat strange analogy. "You know, Brother, I don't believe I've ever seen a picture of you from when you were still 'Lord Onishi'; Mu tells me you used to look rather different, but I've never seen it for myself."

He looked pained, but Cagalli smirked, reached into a pocket, and pulled out an old photo. "Take a look; I've been carrying that around for years."

Murrue took it, and examined it carefully. The young man in the picture couldn't have been older than thirteen or fourteen, and while the face was still recognizable, there were definite differences. For one thing, while his clothing was, as ever, black, it looked more like the outfit Kira had mentioned him wearing during the meeting with Andy Waltfeld in Banadiya. He was also lacking the trademark facial scar, and his hair...

Mu snorted a laugh. "Oh, yeah, I remember that. The look fits you, Kevin, but I gotta say it makes you look like a certain madman of our acquaintance. You sure my father wasn't one of your cousins-however-many-times-removed?"

Kevin looked even more pained. "Mu, I had that hairstyle long before I ever even _heard_ of Rau Le Creuset, okay? And if you make that comparison again, I'll-"

"You'll break me in half, right?" The Hawk laughed again. "How many times have you made that threat, now? And always when I said something about a certain young lady standing very nearby, as I recall. I'd say I told you so, but... you'd probably threaten to break me in half."

"Maybe... and maybe not." Kevin flexed his hands, noting how different they felt now; at least, his natural hand. For the first time in a very long while (in fact, for the first time since he was shot in Orb; even on Heliopolis his EM field had remained up) his augmentation was completely deactivated. It felt... strange, like he'd been handicapped somehow. No longer did he feel the silent whisper of electromagnetic fields, no longer did he feel the strength and stamina that had made him so much more dangerous than anyone else... no more were his normal senses boosted to such high intensities that he could practically hear the grass grow. Now he felt almost maimed.

Now Kevin Walker was just a man. One still stronger than others, by virtue of his artificial limb and the genetic engineering that had produced him, but just a man nonetheless. He could no longer tear battle tanks apart with his bare hands, nor leap five meters straight up (though he could still vault from one skyscraper rooftop to another if he so chose).

It was strange, yet it was also something Kevin felt he needed to do. The cybernetic augmentation was one of the last legacies of Project ABADDON, which had, in the end, cost him more than almost anything else: his memory, his mind, his innocence, his first love, and, in the end, his life. The machines were fused to his atomic structure, so they could not be removed, but by turning them off Kevin could at least put them out of his mind, and return to the peaceful life he once knew... even if he believed the peace would not last.

"If it helps any," Murrue said softly, breaking into his thoughts, "I think you made the right decision. More than anything else, Kevin, right now you need to rest. You've fought more battles in three and a half years than most people fight in a lifetime. If anyone deserves peace, it's you, Brother."

"Thanks, Murrue," Kevin said, throat tightening. _Nine months ago, Kira, Tolle, and Mir were the only people I could really call friends; even Athrun was out of reach, and Cagalli beyond my recollection. Now... I have a crew, and friends like Murrue Ramius and Mu La Flaga. What more can a weary soldier ask for?_

Cagalli nudged him then. "Kevin, I think there's something you need to say."

He nodded. "Yes, of course." Kevin turned to face the room at large, and tapped his glass. "If I may have your attention, please?" he called. "There is something that needs to be said tonight," he began when all eyes turned to him. "Something which should not be said outside the walls of this mansion." His gaze swept over the room, jade eyes serious. "It pains me to say this, but I must ask you all to use my true name, from here on. The official record states that Kevin Walker died in the destruction of GENESIS, and virtually all of the people who know the truth -that Kevin Walker and Kevin Onishi are one and the same- are in this room. I would ask all of you maintain this facade in public, for I do not believe now is the time for Kevin Walker's true identity to be known; especially given certain actions he took during, and before, the war. Ms. Eileen Canaver has agreed to handle the PLANT side of things, so, if you all agree, the world will know only that Kevin Walker, Captain of the _Dominion_, fought and died in the Second Battle of Jachin Due; as far as Kevin Onishi is concerned, he will merely have reappeared after being thought dead, with his absence explained away as merely a foible of an aristocrat. No one will know that Kevin Walker still lives. He will sleep... until the time he is needed once again."

Cagalli's muttered "Which had better be never," was lost in the murmuring on the main floor.

Then Meryl Steiglitz looked up, and raised her rapier in salute. "Whatever you say, My Lord Baron. And if anyone dissents, I shall personally slay them in honorable battle."

There was another murmur, this one of agreement; unnoticed, Kevin smiled to himself. "I do believe our honorable helmswoman has had her consciousness slightly altered," he whispered to Cagalli. "By a fine whiskey, if I'm not greatly mistaken."

She smothered a laugh.

"So, then, My Lord Baron," a cultured voice called. "Do you have any plans for your newly-revivified self?"

The Baron looked sharply at the card table, where a previously unnoticed black-haired man in a tuxedo had now gotten to his feet. "Cousin Frank; I wondered where you were. Should have known you would have found the nearest card game. So, is there a point to that question, or are you just trying to irritate me?"

"Oh, not at all, Cousin," Frank Castile said with a smile. "No, there _is_ a point to all this. You see, with the untimely -but certainly worthy- death of Lord Uzumi Nara Athha, Orb is facing a slight quandary. With no Chief Representative-"

That was as far as he got before Kevin's eyes froze and his glass shattered in his bionic hand. "Stop what you're thinking, 'cause I don't want that job!"

Frank winced, not particularly surprised by the answer, but very grateful that his cousin had chosen a rapier over a gun for this party. _Otherwise I'd be dead about now._

"Well," he said hastily, "I suppose you're not quite the one for that post, anyway; Miss Cagalli is the proper heir, after all. But there _is_ that matter of requiring a new Director of Central Intelligence..."

"I don't think so," Kevin said coolly, but his eyes had unfrozen. "Far, far too political a post, and you know how much I hate politics. As for Chief Representative, Frank, I have another very good reason for turning down the offer: I would probably end up splattering the first person who disagreed with me all over the walls, and I don't think that particular method of problem-solving is very well-regarded in most diplomatic circles." He tucked an arm around Cagalli. "No, I think I'll settle for being the Chief Representative's bodyguard, thank you."

She shot a look at him. "I haven't even said _I'll_ take the job, either!"

"I don't know if there's any other obvious candidate, though," Castile pointed out. "With your father gone, and most of his Cabinet with him, the matter devolves upon the remaining members of the Five Noble Families of Orb. Of those, I think only two are acceptable." He glanced at Kevin. "Unless you'd rather a fellow such as, say... Yuuna Roma to take charge?"

The shards of glass crumbled even further in his hand, and he looked -and felt- murderous. "I'd sooner blast myself to atoms again!" Kevin snarled through gritted teeth.

The various people in the room, with the exception of Frank and Cagalli, cast confused glances at each other; and even they winced. "Well, then," Castile went on after a moment, "since I don't think John Tyler would be acceptable either -even if he weren't a notorious assassin, his resemblance to you would be a little hard to explain- that pretty much leaves us with just one candidate, does it not?"

Kevin looked over at his girlfriend, concerned; she looked down at the floor. "Let me think about it, okay?" she said finally. "I'll get back to you when Kevin and I get back from the Indian Ocean."

"Fair enough," Frank said. He added kindly, "I hate to put you in this position, my dear, believe me. If I thought I had any choice in the matter, I wouldn't. But, in any case, this is a celebration. Put it out of your mind for now; Orb's interim government has enough problems to keep it busy right now anyway."

He turned back to his card game, and Kevin quietly cursed at the floor; prompting Murrue to raise an eyebrow. "So who's Yuuna Roma, anyway, and why does he make you so angry?"

The Baron did not respond; leaving Cagalli to do so. "Yuuna Roma is the heir of the Seiran family," she said quietly. "That particular family has been feuding with the Onishi family for decades, though I don't really know why; and Kevin has a... history... with Yuuna Roma."

Mu narrowed his eyes, speculating. A "history", in reference to Kevin Walker -or Onishi- usually meant a certain degree of antipathy on both sides. "So... what happened the last time they met?"

This time, it _was_ Kevin who replied, though it took several moments. "...Broke his jaw," he said at last, with a trace of a grin.

It was only a trace, however. Though even he did not know the full story behind his family's feud with Yuuna Roma's, there was nothing so mysterious about their _personal_ animosity. It was, however, something he had no intention of ever discussing with anyone, Cagalli in particular.

After all, _she_ was the one they'd been fighting over.

Cagalli, having no trace of Kevin's empathic abilities, didn't notice the shift in his emotions. John and Kira, however -one a zoanthrope and the other mentally linked with the young noble- both glanced curiously up, but thought better of saying anything.

"Well," Murrue said into the silence, "I think we'll just leave the two of you alone now. Right, Mu?"

Mu, still amused by the thought of Kevin, even before his troubles began, breaking the jaw of someone who irritated him, nodded amicably and ambled off with his erstwhile Captain.

Kevin turned back to the window, brushed the remaining fragments of glass off his gloves, and forced himself to relax. _Come on, now, Kevin me boy. Yuuna can't exactly do much to harm you_ now_, now can he?_

"So..." Cagalli said softly, some minutes later. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Kevin."

He turned, eyebrow raised. "What's that?"

She took a deep breath. "Tell me about Rachel Carver."

Kevin blinked, and felt a twinge of an old, familiar pain. For several moments, he did not answer. _Rachel... Someone whose loss I regret very deeply... someone I betrayed long ago... someone I have tried to forget. But perhaps... perhaps it is time to tell that story._

"Rachel Carver," he began. "Her codename was Medusa; she was my second in command in the Destroyers. And we were very close..."

* * *

Three months later...

* * *

"So, how long do you estimate the major repairs will take, Erica?" Baron Kevin Onishi asked. 

Morgenroete engineer Erica Simmons shrugged. "At least six months, My Lord. Artemis took a pretty major beating when you were here ten months ago; there's a lot of debris to clear out, and it's a big asteroid. Fortunately, as you can most compartments still retain atmospheric integrity."

He nodded. "I see."

They stood in one of the auxiliary control centers in the former Eurasian military satellite, Artemis; the base at which the _Archangel_ had arrived earlier in the year, and had one of her early confrontations with the Le Creuset team. Now the base filled with debris from many, many wrecked ships and mobile armors, destroyed by the Duel, Buster, and Blitz; and while most of the personnel areas were still airtight, the main control room had been shattered by a crashing Moebius during the attack. Hence their presence in the secondary facility.

The remains of Artemis were at Lagrange point 3, where Heliopolis had once orbited. Now there was virtually nothing left at L3, nothing to attract attention... which was precisely what had drawn the attention of the Baron and his people.

Now the rogue _Archangel_-class Mobile Assault Ship _Dominion_ resided within the base's cavernous harbor, and work crews from Morgenroete swarmed over the ship and the base. It was to be the headquarters of the Baron's small, private military, and the hiding place of the _Dominion_ while work was underway to repair the massive damage inflicted by the superweapon GENESIS.

It was also soon to be home to a genetic research/engineering facility. Before coming to Artemis, _Dominion_ had made a stopover at the Mendel colony, where Kevin had ordered everything of value removed from the Genetic Advanced Reproductive Medical Research and Development facility -the place where he, Kira, and Rau Le Creuset had been born- and taken aboard the ship. His sociopathic clone, Jack Carter, clearly had some kind of genetics lab himself, and Kevin wanted to be able to counter anything he might do... among other things.

"You're sure about all this, Baron?" Erica asked. "It's gonna make a big hole in your pocket, especially if you insist on leaving company funds out of it."

"I can afford it," he replied, shrugging it off; he'd come in his noble persona, much as he hated it, and wore a formal black outfit much like the one he'd worn at Andrew Waltfeld's headquarters, in Banadiya. It was topped off with an expensive black trench coat, under which was concealed a rapier. In keeping with the effort to bury his wartime identity, he'd allowed his hair to grow out again, though it would be some time yet before it returned to its former length. "Unlike many of my peers, I see money for what it is: a tool, nothing more. Besides, if I involved Morgenroete funds as well as Morgenroete personnel and resources, it would mean involving other members of the Board of Directors. Doing so would very likely result in the exposure of this operation, and I cannot afford _that_. This is all far too important."

"Okay, then. By the way, what _is_ the official disposition of the ship, and for that matter the mobile suits?"

"Officially," Kevin said slyly, "the ship was scrapped last month, and the mobile suits with it; Buster and Justice, for example, were scheduled for destruction before I... acquired them."

_Dominion_'s mobile suit complement, while now lacking its mass-produced forces -all of which had been lost at the Second Battle of Jachin Due- had been swelled by a few clandestine acquisitions. Strike Rouge had been taken away by Murrue and the _Archangel,_ for purposes unknown (though Kevin had his suspicions), but the heavily damaged X09A Justice and X103 Buster had been rescued from the scrap yard and taken aboard the ship, along with Tolle Koenig's Wraith, Mu La Flaga's Strike (Murrue was one of the few outsiders briefed on the operation, and knew the Baron's resources would be far better at repairing the machine), and Kevin's own nearly-obliterated M1000 Sturm Falke.

Even as they spoke, the five machines were being placed in tanks of liquid nitrogen, where they would be slowly repaired by nanotechnology; nanotechnology reverse-engineered by one Erica Simmons, from the remains of Kevin's original right arm. Eventually, they would be combat-ready once again, though it was suspected the nanites would cause some kind of change in at least the Stormhawk, given the unique technologies used in its construction. For now, though, the mobile suits would sleep, and renew themselves.

"I'm guessing the Chief Representative doesn't know about this?" Erica questioned.

"No," Kevin said quietly. "She does not. I love her dearly, and I trust her with more than my life, but she, like Kira and my sister Lacus, believes this war to be over. I do not share their optimism, and I want to be prepared when this cold war gets hot again; and Jack Carter is still out there somewhere. He'll be back, and I'll be waiting." He paused, thinking of the clone. "Those ZAFT fools," he muttered. "They should have known cloning me would bring about nothing but misfortune." He shook himself, and went on. "But if Cagalli knew what I was up to, she'd shut it down in a heartbeat, and I can't have that." He gazed through the viewport into the harbor at _Dominion_. "When repairs are complete, I want _Dominion_ sealed completely, Erica. Fill her with a nitrogen atmosphere and seal all hatches; let her sleep until she is needed again."

"Got it, Boss."

Behind them, the hatch opened, to admit Commander Natarle Badgiruel. Unlike her Captain, she was in uniform; but no longer did she wear the uniform of the Earth Alliance Forces. Instead, she wore a uniform cut in the same style as the ZAFT commander outfits, except all in black. On the left shoulder was a simple patch, showing the _Dominion_ against the black of space, with the vessel's name written beneath. On the right was a patch the paid homage to the ship's commanding officer: the Grim Reaper, scythe raised, with the legend "Live and Let Die" beneath; the words seemed to have been adopted as a motto by the crew.

She saluted. "Everything's squared away in the base's crew quarters, Captain. All personal belongings have been moved from _Dominion_ to base quarters, so repairs can now commence."

Kevin nodded, pleased. "Good, Natarle, thank you." He stroked his chin. "By the way, since you're here, it's probably a good time to hash out the interim operational details."

Natarle raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "What do you have in mind, Baron?"

He paused, organizing his thoughts. "First of all, none of this applies until repairs are complete; until that point, Erica is effectively in charge of scheduling and the like. Once this operation gets up and running, however, I'll want a skeleton crew up here at all times. It'll be a rotating assignment, of course, with no one spending too much time up here in a single stretch. Frankly, I'd rather not have to keep anyone up here at all, but all this will be useless -and vulnerable- without someone here at all times. I'll leave rotation schedules to you."

She nodded. "Makes sense. Anything else?"

Kevin ran a hand through his sandy hair. "Yes. If this base ever receives a Code Himmelkrieg message, that will be their cue to begin reactivating _Dominion_ and issue a recall order to the crew, wherever they may be."

"Heaven's war," Lieutenant Commander John Tyler translated, walking in. "Seems appropriate, somehow. Who's to have recall authority?"

"The three of us and Commander Steiglitz," Kevin answered. "And that should cover things, for now." He glanced sidelong at his clone. "I assume you had a specific reason for dropping by, John?"

The former assassin nodded, and he held up a magazine, a trace of amusement evident on his face. "Yeah, Boss. Latest postwar headline."

Kevin took the magazine, glanced at the lead article's title, and groaned. "Ugh! Not another one!"

Natarle was curious. "What this time, Captain?"

He tore the offending magazine in half. "'War hero irradiates himself in bid to destroy superweapon; speculation of the mysterious, dashing Captain Kevin Walker's origins inside'. Ugh! And I thought Murrue's eulogy was bad."

Kevin had been waging a private little war with the newspapers and magazines ever since the end of the war, but it had done little good; and the headlines speaking of "the mysterious, dashing Kevin Walker" were making him increasingly disgusted.

He himself -as Baron Onishi- had little trouble with newsies. After returning from the Indian Ocean with Cagalli, he'd briefly had problems with paparazzi; this ended when Kevin bodily pitched one off a bridge after a near collision with a paparazzi car. Since the crazed photographers had themselves been violating several of Orb's traffic and privacy laws, they'd known better than to press charges. Nonetheless, word had gotten around, and the media left the Baron alone.

"So," Erica said, changing the subject before anything else got damaged, "do you really think _Dominion_ will ever be launched again, Baron? I hear the peace negotiations are going well."

"Yes, they are, Erica. That's what worries me." Kevin began pacing; or trying to, given the lack of gravity. "A truly proper peace process is one that takes years for the diplomats to even begin to hash out. In the meantime, if the two sides are truly ready for peace, they just get on with business. If you rush things, though, you just end up with another Versailles." He stopped, and looked the engineer in the eye. "Yes, Erica, _Dominion_ will sail again. And when she does, I'll be with her. Bet on it."

* * *

Meanwhile, in one of the "abandoned" space colonies at L4, Jack Carter sat in his office, plotting. Like Kevin Onishi, he believed the war to be far from over, and wanted to be ready for its resumption... but for a far different reason. 

_In the confusion of wartime, I'll have a better chance of taking him out,_ the clone thought._ Once he's out of the way, along with his compadre Invictus, _I'll_ be the only one of us around._

Outside his office, in the facility his organization had taken over and remodeled, preparations were underway. Their single _Nazca_-class destroyer, the _D'Artangan _(Kevin Onishi, being a rapier-man himself, would have appreciated the name) was being repaired -they'd had a nasty encounter with Gai Murakumo not long before- while Carter's geneticists were hard at work in the cloning chamber.

He'd been bluffing when he told the Baron there were a dozen clones nearing maturity; as a matter of fact, the cloning process had not even begun when they had their run-in at Mendel. But now the two hundred were doing well, with a projected deployment date of late C.E. 73.

The only reason Onishi had bought the bluff, of course, was the fact that _he_ never bluffed, and so wouldn't expect a clone of his to do so, either.

"Commander?"

Carter looked up from his planning as his second in command stepped in. "Ah, Jonathan," he greeted pleasantly. "You have the latest reports?"

"Yes, sir," Jonathan Sarnac acknowledged. "So far, everything is on schedule. The clones are developing well-"

"The genetic timing sequence was successfully inserted?" Carter broke in.

"Yes sir. As required, the clones will cease to function one year from the date of awakening." Sarnac's boss, after all, did not want even more of him running around for very long; he merely wanted a temporary diversion, something to keep the original busy. These short-lived clones would work nicely. "Also," Sarnac went on, "repairs to the _D'Artangan_ are on schedule. She'll be ready to launch again within a month."

Carter nodded. "Good. That bloody mercenary was better than I'd counted on." He chuckled. "Certainly smarter than those ZAFT idiots. I still can't believe I managed to fool them for so long into thinking I was loyal to them; they should have known that any copy of Kevin Walker, defective or not, with the original's memories or not, could never be truly loyal to them."

"Gave you time to build up your contacts and acquire the ship, sir," Sarnac pointed out.

"True." The clone frowned suddenly in concern. "Jonathan, you've been a little preoccupied ever since the reports of Jachin came out. Is there something wrong?" He could be as cold as the Racher, but in the final analysis Carter was kind to his people; else even he couldn't have gotten them to follow him.

Sarnac swallowed, managing to look sad and angry at the same time. "I learned about then that my sister Karen was with the _Dominion_'s Strike Dagger unit, Commander," he said, with difficulty. "She was killed during the battle, by a GuAIZ unit."

"Oh, yes, of course," Carter murmured. "I'm sorry, Jonathan; though I hear the good 'Baron' avenged her death within moments."

"Yes, sir, I heard that too. One of the few good things that man has ever done." Sarnac clenched his fists. "But she wouldn't have been in that situation were it not for Onishi, which is one reason I'm perfectly willing to help you kill him, Commander. _And_ ZAFT."

"Yes, I see..." Carter nodded to himself. "Well," he went on brusquely, "what's the status on our little... project? Is he responding to the treatment?"

His subordinate consulted the files he was carrying. "Yes, sir. The experimental technique seems to be repairing his body at an adequate rate." He set the appropriate folder on his commander's desk.

The clone perused it. "Ah, very good... Once he's something more than merely a pseudo-living corpse, we'll be able to proceed to Phase 2, the gene therapy." He looked up. "Any more word on Baron Onishi's activities?"

Sarnac shook his head. "No, sir. Not since _Dominion_ raided the GARM facility; all we know is that he's planning something ambitious, and that he's operating from some kind of secret base."

"Stunning revelations," Carter said dryly; his XO took no offense, knowing it wasn't directed at him. "Anyone who knows anything about that man could deduce that; especially after Mendel."

The sudden appearance of the _Dominion_ at the nearby Mendel colony had come as a surprise to even Carter; he was not, however, overly concerned by the raid of genetic-engineering equipment. His own people had already gotten sufficient data to build what they needed onsite.

"Well," Carter said again. "I believe that's everything, Jonathan. I suggest you get back to work; the sooner our preparations are complete, the sooner our mission is a success."

"Yes, sir." Sarnac saluted and left, while his boss returned to his plotting.

Had anyone taken a close look at the file on Carter's desk, particularly someone who had been at _Archangel_'s first battle with Andrew Waltfeld, they would have been interested to see the name "Evan Bitter" next to the picture of a badly-maimed yet breathing body...

* * *

One week later.

* * *

In Orb's capital, in the dead of night, a petty crook -or previously petty; now he'd done something far worse- stopped in a dark alley to count the cash from his latest robbery. _Not bad. Sure, I had to grease a couple people, but hey-_

The murderous robber never thought anything else again, as the slender blade cleaved through his neck, sending his head bouncing down the alley.

Conventional wisdom says you cannot behead a man with a rapier. The slender blade simply isn't built for it. But that assumes a blade of average sharpness, and a man of average strength. The particular weapon was _very_ sharp.

And Baron Kevin Onishi was very strong.

Sighing, he wiped the blade on the corpse's clothing and sheathed it. _That's two this week; least this guy never even saw me._ The last time, the criminal hadn't actually killed anyone; he'd simply made the mistake of attempting to fight back when Kevin began to subdue him. A quick thrust to the heart had ended the attempt, and saved Orb's taxpayers the cost of a trial.

It wasn't that he was a vigilante, Kevin mused, getting a handhold on a nearby wall and swarming up the side of the building. It was simply that he slept an average of four hours a night, and needed something to occupy his time. By day, he could be found either in meetings of the Morgenroete Board of Directors, or more often standing unobtrusively behind Cagalli at _her_ work, acting as a bodyguard along with Athrun Zala (who had taken the job shortly after arriving in Orb). At night, however, most people were asleep, so he needed a different sort of stimulus.

This was provided by prowling the rooftops of the skyscrapers in Orb's capital city, using his pure, unaugmented muscle power to leap from one rooftop to the next. And sometimes, he noticed crimes in progress or criminals in the midst of escaping, and decided to do something about it. So far, he'd only had to kill three people, but it had left the criminal underworld -and the police, though they generally looked the other way when the scum of the Earth croaked- stumped. Whoever the interloper was, he used a sword; not a very common weapon in this day and age.

Kevin really couldn't care less.

Cagalli, he knew, was well aware of his late-night wanderings; more than once, he'd turned up at the Athha residence, apparently to watch over the place. She wasn't precisely sure why he did it -though she thought it might have something to do with Jack Carter and the other clones she knew were out there somewhere- but she did know he was quite serious about it. Kevin never lingered, during those nights, and never came inside.

He devoutly hoped Cagalli did _not_ know of his occasional run-ins with lowlifes. She had gotten him to retire from combat, and expected him to _stay_ retired. And he tried, certainly. _After all, it ain't _my_ fault these dummies run across me, now is it?_

Reaching the roof, Kevin moved swiftly and silently to the edge, from where he gazed down upon the darkened city. In the distance, with the aid of his bionic eye, he could see a certain elegant mansion, as dark as the rest of Orb. _Sleep well, love,_ he thought fondly. _Mayhap one day I'll sleep as easily as you; until then, I shall guard you even in the darkest hour of the night... even if you are not aware of it, and even though you would skin me alive if you were._

Kevin Onishi gathered his legs and sprang for the next rooftop. _Sleep well, indeed... for this war has only just begun._

* * *

Glossary

* * *

Zero System:

An as-yet-not-understood operating system used by the MBF-M1000 Sturm Falke. Created by the brilliant -and mentally unstable- Baron John Tyler Onishi, the system predicted the next few moments of a battle with uncanny -though not, as Kevin Walker learned to his cost, unerring- accuracy.

The system has the potential to be a double-edged sword, however: during studies undertaken by Project Prometheus Unchained, it is determined the system could potentially, if the user is in a foul enough mood, show him the path to utter defeat, instead of victory. As of the Second Battle of Jachin Due, however, Kevin Walker has yet to encounter this problem.

Battle Armor:

A suit of featureless armor worn by the assassin Invictus. While working for ZAFT Commander Rau Le Creuset, the armor's outer, chameleon-like surface is adjusted to a simple matte black; after joining the crew of the _Dominion_, it is changed to look like a ZAFT tog gun uniform.

The armor is also equipped with an optical camouflage system, using light-bending techniques to render the wearer invisible. Invictus uses this function to great effect when PLANT Justice Ministry operatives attempt to assassinate Lacus Clyne in the Junius Five colony; later, the armor's spare optic camouflage unit is entrusted to Baron Kevin Onishi.

However, the armor's primary purpose, besides concealing Invictus' less-than-unique features, was originally to block the "psychic resonance" effect which allows a clone to sense the original, and vis-versa, in order to prevent Kevin Walker from becoming aware of the assassin's existence. Using an alloy produced in zero-gravity from an unusual collection of metals, the armor itself functions as a kind of "psychic insulation", until the time Invictus deems it appropriate to reveal himself at last.

* * *

Author's note: And so comes the end of the beginning, the completion of Kevin Walker's first saga. But it is only the beginning... 

Now that we've come at last to the end of this long journey -or at least to a stopover- perhaps it is time to delve into the genesis of Kevin Walker as a character; you might find this interesting.

When I first conceived this tale, ten months ago, I had no real grandiose designs. As a matter of fact, it came into being because I was searching for an appropriate universe in which to drop a zoanthrope; yet in the final analysis, the zoanthrope connection was almost buried beneath everything else, serving largely as part of the basis for Kevin Walker's extraordinary abilities. Only once in the entire saga does he fully transform... but, of course, there was a time _before_ Heliopolis when he did so. But I digress.

In the beginning, Kevin Walker was nothing but a zoanthrope Coordinator who'd had a few nasty run-ins with Blue Cosmos during trips to Earth, and had taught himself guerrilla warfare techniques to counter them. He was a native of Heliopolis, whose only historical connection to the rest of the SEED universe was his friendship with Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala.

Needless to say, all of this began to change early on.

First came the references to his memory-wipe, which began to establish his prior acquaintance with Cagalli Yula Athha; an acquaintance only, originally. Then came his scars, which were a leftover from an early concept I had for a SEED story (a Gundam SEED/Wing Commander crossover that didn't pan out), and that, eventually, led to the creation of Project ABADDON, as a way of explaining away those scars (his bionic eye entered the equation at about the same time).

Kevin's cybernetic augmentation was born in the original Chapter 4, around the events in the Debris Belt. At the time, I hadn't even decided just who had done it to him; that came later (and the augmentation had not yet reached the final version, which appeared in the chapters actually posted).

The wicked facial scar emerged during his conversation with Admiral Halberton, in the _Archangel_'s hanger. In both versions of that scene, Halberton deduced Kevin's identity; but in the original, Kevin stayed with the ship, instead of coming to their rescue mid-battle.

Finally, in the first version of Kevin's reunion with Cagalli (in that version, they met again _after_ Waltfeld's first attack; by that time, Kevin's identity as an Orb nobleman and childhood friend of Cagalli had been decided), Project ABADDON was revealed; yet even then the events had not been finalized. Originally, it was a rogue project, not sanctioned by ZAFT higher-ups. How times change, eh?

By the time of Chapter 16, Kevin's past and abilities had been fully established. Almost, that is. I imagine some of you have noticed the numerous modifications to Kevin's origins throughout the story, as new details came to light? I confess that a good part of the reason for that is that I was writing this while the series was still being shown, so I had to change things as new revelations occurred in the anime. Hence the multiple versions of Kevin's birth, until the final one was revealed at Mendel (interestingly, I had the idea of an "Ultimate Coordinator" project long before I learned Kira was part of one; I was quite surprised when I realized I'd come up with something on my own that was so similar to something in the anime, and it resulted in one of the biggest changes to Kevin's genesis).

Now you can probably tell why the first eleven chapters were so extensively rewritten before they were ever posted: the character of Kevin Walker had been altered so much that the original versions were no longer applicable. So, though I regretted it later, it was a good thing I wrote so much of the story before ever posting it, because the original draft wasn't very good. It means a lot of work came to little, but in the end, the story was the better for it (but I have no intention of doing such a thing again; I've had to modify the _final_ versions of chapters so many times based on feedback that it isn't even funny).

Brothers in Arms was created in September, 2004 (on almost the same day as the Second Battle of Jachin Due, by interesting coincidence), and now, after ten months of work, it is finally complete. Quite a ride, and one which I naively thought was over back in May, but one that has, at last, come to an end.

Until, of course, Brothers in Arms: A Call to Arms begins. Since I hear Destiny is coming to the States late this year, you can expect the story late this year, or possibly in early January. I'd love to start it sooner, but I'll need to have seen a few episodes before I can begin. Fortunately, I know enough about it to make long-range plans already, but I need detailed information in order to actually begin.

In the meantime, I'll be posting a series of one-shots, covering various scenes within -and before- Brothers in Arms in a more in-depth fashion. These won't be in any particular order, but rather will be posted as I think of them. The first should be up within a couple of days.

And now, on to the review responses.

RVD, I'm not sure what gave you the idea Kevin was going to be killed off; I've stated repeatedly he'll be in the sequel. Or were you thinking he'd die here, then turn up two years later? That was a possibility I considered, but eventually rejected.

ForeverZero, I'm pleased you liked the battle at GENESIS. I paid very careful attention to that battle, since I wanted a spectacular finish; in the end, it took me about a week to write it, and then spent the next couple of months revising it. I'm very glad to see that I succeeded in my efforts.

Arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, from what I've heard of it, I don't like the fellow either. My apologies, by the way, if I misspelled his name; I've come across a couple of different spellings, and I'm not sure which is correct. If I got it wrong, let me know and I'll fix it immediately.

As for the Wing Gundam, if you were looking on Mecha Anime HQ I think you _were_ looking at the Early Version; for some reason, in the basic Wing Gundam entry, it lists it under a different name. For more images, look under Hajime Kotaki (or Katoki; I don't remember the exact spelling) Variations.

Now that you mention it, I guess having people call Kevin "Boss" _does_ sound like a Metal Gear reference. I actually simply because it sounded like an interesting, if minor, plot element.

NukeDawg, it sounds like you may have been under the impression Chapter 35 was the end of the story. As you can see, however, _this_ is the proper end. I wanted to wrap it up properly, especially since the anime _didn't._

I hope I cleared things up with that review, by the way; and I'll be interested to see what you mean by my story "connecting" with yours. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.

Ominae, you may be interested to know that there will be rather more Kevin/Murrue interaction in the sequel. Perhaps not exactly what you were looking for, but at least along the lines of the scene in Chapter 33, which, as I recall, you liked.

ZZGUNDAM, I can't say exactly how I'll be writing Shinn until I've seen how he is in the anime. I can say, however, that I try to keep characters _in_ character.

Red Eyed Divine Dragoon77415, as mentioned above, look for the Wing Gundam Early Version under Hajime Katoki -Kotaki, whichever- Variations. You'll find it there.

White Shadow, I know the feeling. And yes, Brothers in Arms: A Call to Arms will be a Destiny AU. Originally, I had other plans, but after hearing more about the series, I find myself looking forward to seeing how Kevin Walker will interact with -and change- its events.

Katana, if I do go with the Wing Gundam Early Version (which is a very distinct possibility) I will very likely use several of your suggestions. I also have a few ideas of my own, which I'm keeping close to my chest. In any case, Stormhawk will return better than ever, under a new name.

Centurious, as you can see it wasn't quite the end; but I'm glad you liked the battle anyway. I am looking forward to seeing how you use Kevin Walker and his clones, by the way.

Shinji Ikari… in your first paragraph your words are one-tenth correct and nine tenths nonsense. True, Kira does not kill Le Creuset in the series. However, he was clearly intending to; you do not stick a beam saber into someone's cockpit when you are trying to _miss!_ And his cry of "Die!" is by no means out of character. If you pay closer attention, you'll notice he shouts that during his battle with the Providence, when he blasts one of the DRAGOON emitters.

And finally: Kira never kills a mobile suit pilot? Excuse me, but that's ridiculous, and you should _know_ it's ridiculous. Let me refresh your memory. Phase 3: Miguel Aiman's GINN loses a leg to the Strike's Midas Messer beam boomerang, then gets sliced in half by Kira's Schwerht Gewerh anti-ship sword; Miguel dies in the subsequent explosion. Phase 7: a reconnaissance GINN is blasted to bits by Kira's beam rifle, killing both occupants. Phase 16: Kira knocks one BuCUE to the ground, plants his foot on it, and fires a hyper-impulse cannon shot into its cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. Then, he tosses another BuCUE into the path of a missile. Scratch another pilot. Phase 18: Kira shoots a BuCUE right through the gut, causing it to detonate; scratch another pilot. Phase 21: Kira jumps onto a BuCUE and shoots it, killing the pilot; he slices another BuCUE in half, _thoroughly_ killing the pilot; he throws his beam saber into a BuCUE's head and shoots it, killing the pilot; he knocks the head off the final BuCUE and shoots it, killing the pilot. And finally, Aisha dies when Kira destroys Waltfeld's LaGOWE. Phase 22: Kira stabs an Armor Schneider into a GOOhN, destroying it and its pilot, and promptly shoots another GOOhN with a shotgun, destroying and _its_ pilot. Phase 23: Kira shoves an Armor Schneider into the ZnO, killing Marco Morassim. And finally, Phase 29: Kira cuts into the Blitz with his anti-ship sword, killing Nicol Amalfi (and, of course, there's Phase 49, when he cuts an entire _Agamemnon_-class in half). So don't try to tell _me_ Kira never kills any mobile suit pilots. That's utter nonsense. So no, I am _not_ going to edit Rau Le Creuset's death.

I'd add a glossary entry for Chapter 33, but after the epilogue here, there really wasn't anything else. (As for energy fields… check back when I get the sequel going. By then I should have thought of something.)

As for the vengeance thing, I see no reason to alter it. Le Creuset didn't give Oracle the idea; he just gave him the opportunity to experiment on a grander scale. I think it worked well as is.

Tolle… yes, it's possible I'll add "snippets" later on; we'll see. As for Carpentaria, no, I don't think that's what was meant by ZAFT forces being in the line of fire. For one thing, though I may be remembering wrong, I think that was spoken of just before the shot that took out Ptolemaeus.

When it comes to Flay, _I'll_ make the decision about whether or not to use reader feedback, and that's all I have to say.

But that leads me into another rant: I _wish_ people would stop saying Xenogears and Xenosaga are connected. _They are not._ Xenogears was Squaresoft, whereas Xenosaga is published by Namco. It's developed by members of the Xenogears team, but copyrights alone mean the two games _cannot_ be connected. They share certain elements, like the Zohars, but _they are not part of the same universe._

Okay, ranting over.

As for the reconstructed Stormhawk, like I said earlier in the notes, I _will_ be making my own modifications to the design.

You'll notice, if you read Chapter 30, that the reason for the nuclear bomb in Stormhawk was _already_ explained, and Kevin's comrades would presumably know of it.

With regard to the final face-off between _Dominion_ and _Caligula_: what you say about warnings systems and such makes sense. On the other hand, look at what happens a couple of times on _Dominion:_ when Azrael panics, everything stops, even when there's a competent officer in charge. When he's aboard a ship, he seems to drain all trace of initiative from the crew. Therefore, I see nothing wrong with how it's written.

And as for having all remaining weapons locked on, I should first of all point out that antibeam depth charges _aren't_ weapons. They're a purely defensive measure. Second, _Archangel_-class vessels don't _have_ defensive missiles; the Helldarts can be used for that purpose, but they too are primarily offensive. If you don't believe me, check the official website's entry for the class.

No, I don't think Kira went Berserker prior to Flay's death in the anime; and Kevin's impending sacrifice would certainly be enough of an impetuous for him to do so in my version.

Possibly you have a point about the Jachin self-destruct; I may have to add something in there to indicate a deadman function of some kind, perhaps set to activate if someone tampered with it, or if Zala's biological functions ceased.

When it comes to the brief altercation he has with Kevin, you're forgetting one thing: the human factor. Knowing intellectually what to do when faced with a Destroyer is one thing; having one rip his way through a heavy, locked door to get specifically at _you_ is something else. That can _really_ mess with one's thinking.

Perhaps it is a little too convenient for Kevin's EM field to work just then; but sometimes, you have to sacrifice realism for storytelling (though since you're certain to contradict me rather forcefully, I suppose I'll consider -_consider_- altering it). As for Kevin not disarming him, he probably wouldn't see the need. Even without the EM field and his nanites, he's bloody hard to kill with a single shot. The likelihood of a rear-echelon type like Zala killing him so easily is _very_ low. Besides, with his long-awaited vengeance so close at hand, he might not necessarily think of it. It's established that he isn't infallible, after all.

Thanks for pointing out that continuity error, by the way; you'll see that I already fixed it.

Flay and Tolle… I added them to the list when GENESIS explodes, but if you think there should be more -which I would assume not, since you didn't mention Murrue, for example, needing more of a reaction- let me know.

As for Kira not brimming with tears, let me tell you something: it's entirely possible to be too exhausted to grieve, and if anyone has a right to be tired about then -anyone who isn't dead, anyway- it's Kira.

Glad you liked the Providence/Freedom battle; that was another one that was a little tricky. Fortunately, the sheer length of it meant I _couldn't_ be too close to canon; I literally couldn't remember it all.

I had the _Dominion_ hit by GENESIS in part because it's very important for some of my farther-reaching plans that it be in need of extensive repairs.

All three Astray test pilots are alive, as you will have noticed by now; that's also part of my "grand design". You'll see what I mean when the time comes.

With regard to Stormhawk versus Providence… sure, the Zero System might normally have helped. But it's not infallible, and having those DRAGOON emitters zooming around would probably give even it problems.

As you can see, you weren't quite correct about Artemis. It struck me, around the time I came up with the events of Chapter 33, that it would make a perfect base for Kevin's later operations (at the time, I had no idea about Astray, and even now couldn't care less; my idea was too good to pass up, and Kevin had already killed Garcia, anyway). Kevin's work there will later prove to be quite extensive.

Now, Oracle's part in Kevin Walker's tale is essentially done. He may appear in the odd dream sequence in the future, but with the deaths of Patrick Zala, Rau Le Creuset, and Muruta Azrael, the ABADDON chapter of Kevin's life has finally been closed.

My apologies, by the way, for any spoilers you may have seen in this final update. However, if you don't know much about Destiny you may not even realize they _are_ spoilers, and I shan't point them out.

Finally, I say this: Shinji Ikari, you have driven me up the wall more than once in the course of your reviews, but you have been very helpful (and fortunately, I enjoy a good debate). I hope you'll review my future entries into Gundam SEED fan fiction, and in particular hope to see you for A Call to Arms… I think.

**To all readers:** within a few days, Brothers in Arms: Moments and Memories will be posted. This will be a collection of one-shots related to Brothers in Arms, specifically relating to Kevin Walker; either expanding upon scenes within it, or events before it, such as Kevin's first meeting with Andrew Waltfeld. These won't be in chronological order, but rather in the order I write them, which will be in whatever order I think them up. So there will be something involving Kevin before the sequel arrives; stay tuned.

Now that the time has come to close this chapter in Kevin Walker's saga, I would like to thank all those who took the time to review it. When I first posted it, I never expected to get very many reviews; after all, this is the first time I've posted in this section. I certainly never imagined I'd get _this_ kind of response. Thank you all, and keep an eye out, because Kevin Walker's tale isn't over yet… -Solid Shark


End file.
